octaves_words

Welcome to the “build-a-bike” blog. I’m a web content editor for Messiah College and I’ve been requested to chronicle the building up of a road racing bike. The frame pictured below is assembled in Italy, and then shipped to the U.S. to be painted and finished. It’s about 4 pounds of Columbus Nivachrome steel and the fork (to hold the front wheel) is made from carbon fiber (very light and just a bit flexible). To the best of my limited Italian, the name ”Corsa Strada” translates to “road racer”. 

Carbon fiber frame are all the rage these days, and steel is considered by some to be a bit of a dinosaur. This project is partially an experiment to see if steel can still hold its own against the advance of technology and marketing hype. More on that as we proceed.