Bike Spec
RM Blizzard 853 2007 18"
Magura Menja 2008 100mm forks
Formula Oro 24 160mm f/r
2008 XT Front / Rear derailleurs and shifters
XTR Chain
RF Deus XC 175mm
Time Atac XC Pedals
Azonic handlebars
Odi Ruffian Grips
Spinergy Xyclone Disc wheels XT cassette
XTR gear cables
Thomson stem 100mm 5 degree rise
Thomson post 26.8mm x 410 inline
SDG Bel air Ti saddle
NS Bikes 30mm seat collar
After reading the background info on the Blizzard, we were disappointed to find that the weight of our test frame was quite a bit more than the 4.4lb advertised. Okay, weight isn't the whole issue and manufacturer's stated weights are often for the smallest model, but nearly a pound is a big difference. We've tested 853 frames that weigh close to 4lb.
Still, the big selling point of Reynolds 853 tubing is toughness, as it air-hardens after construction. And the big selling point of the Blizzard is its heritage and ride quality. It's 20 years since Rocky Mountain built the first steel Blizzard. It's still being hand-built in Canada and the ride is still superb. It feels as stiff, as precise and as lively as the best alu frames, but with the extra comfort and resilience of steel. Okay, so the weight isn't a highlight, but this is a bang up-to-date frame that takes a 100mm travel fork and handles long or fast XC rides as well as any steel frame we've tested.
RM's experience really shines through. It's one of those frames that owners quickly develop emotional links to. It's eminently adaptable, with rack and mudguard mounts as well as all the usual brake and bottle accoutrements, and it's extremely well-built, in a simple no fuss kind of way.
By Bikeradar review
Manufacturing processes and market trends continue to literally shape the bicycle frame. While not as common as it used to be, the process of butting is still used in the manufacture of bicycle frames. Meanwhile, steel, the long-running workhorse, is being replaced more and more by aluminum—its hardy cousin that grows less expensive every year. So what do you look for in a frame? Is next year's frame necessarily better than this year's?
Weight
Striving to shave precious grams from frame designs, manufacturers have employed all sorts of exotic metals and methods. Essentially, though, what you pay for is inversely proportional to the weight of your bike. The more you pay, the less it weighs.
Geometry
In theory, aggressive angles lead to aggressive ride characteristics. Relaxed angles lead to more casual ride characteristics. Which is best for you? The answer really depends on how much time you spend in the saddle. If you ride a lot and aren't interested in attacking the road or trail, go for a relaxed geometry of about 70 or 71 degrees on the head tube. More aggressive bikes have a head-tube angle of 72 or 73 degrees.
Plain-Gauge Tubing
Even with advances in materials, manufacturing processes and design, the best frame tubing for the buck is plain-gauge. These are tubes that don't rely on butting (see below) or oversizing or exotic blends, but are straight and strong and easy to manufacture. As a consequence they are cheaper. Those who are "serious" about cycling may point out that plain-gauge tubes weigh more than butted tubes. This is true, but the difference is sometimes only a matter of three or four pounds. If you're just out enjoying the town or trail and not attacking mountains, then this weight difference is of no consequence.
Butting
The goal of any good bike manufacturer is to put the material where you need it. And you need the material where the bike frame undergoes the most stress—at each end of the various tubes. This process is known as butting.
Internal Butting—Looking at the tube, you won't notice butting because it's hidden within the tube. So how do you know if the bike is butted? Bike manufacturers will certainly tell you, as it's a big selling point.
External Butting—The older, more expensive way is to add material onto the outside of the tube. This is rarely done anymore. However, you sometimes will see an extended weld. (See below.)
There are two methods used to butt a frame tube.
Double Butting—As the tube is shaped, extra material is allowed internally at each end of the tube. By increasing these areas of the tube, the overall tube wall thickness can be reduced, thus saving weight.
Triple Butting—To save even more weight, the double butting process is refined by stepping down the material at the ends of the tube. This means the butting starts out in the standard, double-butted manner but then is thinned before stepping down again to the normal tube wall thickness. In a cutaway, the inside of the tube looks like three terraced rice paddies on a hillside.
Welding
There are essentially 3 ways to join frame tubes:
Each method has its proponents, yet nearly all but the very high-end bikes use the TIG welding method. This approach is relatively inexpensive and creates a good, solid weld. However, look closely at a bike's welds. You'll see that quality bikes offer a thick, even weld that goes around the entire tube. On department store bikes the welds are thin and spotty, dabbed down generally on the top, bottom and sides, but leaving open areas in between.
Extended Welds—One inexpensive way of adding material to the end of a tube is to simply add welding material. Generally, this is an elliptical circle or a double line extending from the joint to about an inch or so down the tube where it fades out. What's the problem with this method? The heat used in this process can actually weaken the tube. After welding, manufacturers will again heat-treat the entire tube—baking it, essentially—to bring the metal back up to par. While effective, this is a less substantial method than actually building the butting while the tube is being drawn out.
How Long Are You Going to Keep Your Bike?
Steel will oxidize (rust) faster than aluminum. However, steel can take more stress over the long run than aluminum. Which is better? If you live in a wet climate, aluminum may be the better choice. Dry climate? You can do well with steel.
How Much Do You Weigh?
If you go much above the 170-pound mark, whether through big bones or Big Macs, you'll want a bike with a higher strength. This may take an added pound of frame weight to achieve, but it's worth it in the long run. Also, steel and titanium are generally better for bigger riders due to something called elongation. They can flex more without breaking.
Is Money a Factor?
Though aluminum and titanium have come down in price, steel is still the least expensive metal. But since most cyclists like the lighter weight of aluminum or carbon fiber, manufacturers are creating bikes that are aluminum or carbon fiber and more affordable. Titanium? Still expensive.
The cost of a mountain bike frame is proportionate to its material, as well as the treatment that material has received. Currently, there are five types of material used in mountain bikes - high tensile steel, chromoly steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. Oversized diameters, heat treating, and butting are tubing material treatments that will increase the cost of a frame as well.
High tensile steel: This is a very durable alloy that’s found in lower priced mountain bikes. It offers a high carbon content which makes it less stiff than chromoly steel, so more materials are needed to make it stiff enough for bicycle frames, which will in turn make it that much heavier.
Relatively inexpensive to produce, you’ll find this material in trail bikes, city bikes, and even entry level mountain bikes. There are some bikes that come with a chromoly seat tube, while the rest is high tensile steel.
Chromoly steel: Short for steel alloy, chromoly is best described by its major additives - chromium and molybdenum. This is probably the most refined framing material, giving over 100 years of dependable service.
Depending on the type of heat treating and butting, you can find this material in bikes as low as 400 dollars all the way up to 1,500 and beyond. The chromoly steel material offers very good durability and a compliant ride characteristic.
Aluminum: For the past 15 years, aluminum has been refined in pretty much the same way as chromoly. There have been various alloys developed, as well as heat treatment, oversizing, and butting. With dual suspension bikes, aluminum is the preferred material as it’s the stiffest and most cost effective.
Aluminum is stiffer than chromoly, and therefore it will crack before chromoly. Of course, this depends on how you ride and how much abuse you give the frame. The advantages of aluminum is that the frame is very light and very stiff through oversizing or butting.
Titanium: Even thought it’s somewhat exotic, the prices for this material have come down over the last few years. Frames made of titanium remain expensive because it takes longer to weld the tubes to the frame.
Titanium is considered an alloy, normally mixed with small amounts of vanadium and aluminum to give it better weldability and ride characteristics. More compliant than chromoly, it offers better fatigue and corrosion properties.
The material you choose for your bike, all depends on where you ride and what style you use. Almost all materials will last you for years, as long as you take care of your bike and treat the frame with some respect.
According to Breeze, there was something special about the ballooners; “they were outfitted with thumbshift-operated derailleurs and drum brakes operated by motorcycle brake levers.” It was then that Fisher, Kelly, Ritchey and Breeze realized that they had just seen, “the prototype for what would evolve into the mountain bike you ride today.” From that point on, multiple-speed balloon-tire bikes made the climb uphill almost as fun as the downhill descent. In 1977, Breeze came out with the first multiple produced mountain bike called the Breezer, which sold for $750
FRAMES
Mountain bike technology has come a long way since the first derailleur was placed on a ballooner. For instance, the frame of the mountain bike comes in many different materials. The most readily used materials are steel, chromoly, aluminum, carbon fiber and titanium. According to Darin Schultz of Budget Bicycle Center in Madison, “Frame quality is the most important part in bike design.” He said that even when you put great components on a cheap frame, “the bike would perform better, but it would still feel like you’re riding a cheap bike.” In other words, a smooth ride is one of the most important considerations when riding because it permits longer rides without fatigue, and it allows for better handling in rough terrain, which in turn makes the rider faster and more agile.
Steel frames are most readily used in department store bikes and lower end mountain bikes. Steel is extremely strong and allows for a rigid frame, but can be considered too heavy for most riders. Some riders who prefer the strength of steel, but prefer a lighter bike usually ride a chromoly frame because it is a steel composite used on many dirt bikes that are known for their ability to endure large amounts of physical abuse.
Aluminum is next in line after steel and is the most common material used in bike frames. Its lightweight and efficient frame transfers power straight from the rider to the ground. Most aluminum frames weigh a mere 3 to 4 pounds and can take a pretty good beating from the amateur to expert rider. The cost of just the aluminum frame can range in price from $300 to more than $1,000.
The last two bike frame materials, carbon fiber and titanium, are for those riders who want to shave every last gram of excess weight off their bikes while still having the benefits of a stiff and rigid frame. Only the more experienced riders can appreciate the light, yet strong design that comes along with the extra cost. With technological advancements in carbon fiber, bike manufacturers such as Cannondale, have moved from thermoset carbon fiber to thermoplastic carbon fiber, allowing the frame to weigh as much as a half a pound less than the previous models.
