Lugged Steel Frame Vs Welded

Steel aluminum carbon even cardboard.

Lugged steel frame vs welded.

Welded frames actually meld two tubes together by using heat while lugged frames fit straight tubes into lugs or sleeved sockets similar to pipe fittings. Cyclists can be categorized into two types. For most of the bicycle s history steel has been the primary material for bicycle frames with lugged construction the primary assembling method. We often get asked what s better a lugged bicycle frame or a welded bicycle frame bike frames can be built of many things.

You won t find downtube shifters here instead masi. In theory the butts more wall thickness at the end than the middle of the tube can be a little bit shorter since heat from tig welding is more localized. Lugged steel frame construction is a method of building bicycle frames using steel tubing mated with socket like sleeves called lugs. When choosing a new bicycle the frame is arguably the most important individual part.

In this guide i outline the pros and cons of a steel vs. Also called continuously welded or fully welded the comer perimeter joints have all elements of the frame member continuously welded including soffits stops rabbet faces and returns. Kd frames are the least expensive because they are shipped disassembled allowing them to be tightly packed for shipping and jobsite storage. Knowing this i am quite happy with the tig welded xo 2 that i just built up.

How the individual pieces are joined together depends on the material and the builder. Those who prefer welded frames and those who favor lugged frames. With a brazed lugged frame the heat spreads over a greater length of the tubing so the butts may be longer. Typically a tig ed frame will weigh a little less because it has no lugs.