Off-Beat Steel Tubesets?

[cjroot2004]

Hello!

Does anyone know what happened to some of the smaller, "off-beat" steel tubeset manufacturers? For example: Vitus or Excell (France), Oria (Italy), or Tange (Japan)? I have worked with Reynolds, Columbus, and Deddaciai, and I would love to try something different. Thanks!


Christopher Root

[Rosko]

Hello!

Does anyone know what happened to some of the smaller, "off-beat" steel tubeset manufacturers? For example: Vitus or Excell (France), Oria (Italy), or Tange (Japan)? I have worked with Reynolds, Columbus, and Deddaciai, and I would love to try something different. Thanks!


C R

I know Tange has been back(?) in the game for a while now, they are on FB https://www.facebook.com/tube.tange try contacting them directly?
IIRC Merry Sales is the distro for USA? Might be worth a call. I have NOT used any since '97 or so- but I do remember being impressed with the quality at the time. Good luck!

[steve garro]

IIRC Merry Sales is the distro for USA?

Yep.

Pretty standard diameters and thicknesses for general road use.

NOT the same as the old Prestige, which was beautiful, I got to use lots of it, just beautiful.
Too short for MTB's nowadays

Some other really beautiful tubing is Kaisei, which can be acquired from United Bicycle Institute


- Garro.

[rellis]

Merry Sales has some Tange Prestige tubing in stock, just looked at their web site.

[Eric Estlund]

I believe Kaisai is what became of Ishiwata. Really nice tubes.

It's also my understanding that Excell closed down it's bike tubing line quite some time ago- I'm not sure if they are still producing steel tubes for other industries for closed up entirely?

[steve garro]

I believe Kaisai is what became of Ishiwata. Really nice tubes.

It's also my understanding that Excell closed down it's bike tubing line quite some time ago- I'm not sure if they are still producing steel tubes for other industries for closed up entirely?

Both correct as far as I know.

The last Excell tube I had was SO THIN that I don't even know what happened to it (or, where I got it)

Also as a heads-up, Tange has a post up to watch out for counterfeit Chinese tubing.


Kaisei *is* the descendent of Ishiwata, they took a hit as they are located in Fukushima, but are back up & running - UBI sell whole tubesets, shiny, straight, round, and crisply defined butts and tapers.

- Garro.

[michäel2]

maybee not as off beat as you might want it to be but im keen to give true tempers s-3 tube set a go for my next roady.

[steve garro]

When you mean not the same do you mean it's not the heat treated stuff from the 90s? Does it look different?

It's totally not the same as in it's totally not the same - at all.

Specs

Where it's made:

http://www.tange-design.com/history.php

Not to say it's bad

But there are suppliers with known supply chains that I'd rather use.

- Garro.

[suhacycles]

Gotcha...

Well, maybe a good time to try that Kaisei stuff! I've looked at the UBI site but couldn't tell what their alloys are like relative to Columbus or TT. Are their CroMo tubes essentially like Verus and their NiCroMo like Verus HT or is it more like OX or 853?

[e-RICHIE]

Gotcha...

Well, maybe a good time to try that Kaisei stuff! I've looked at the UBI site but couldn't tell what their alloys are like relative to Columbus or TT. Are their CroMo tubes essentially like Verus and their NiCroMo like Verus HT or is it more like OX or 853?

First and last names, please...

[suhacycles]

Gotcha...

Well, maybe a good time to try that Kaisei stuff! I've looked at the UBI site but couldn't tell what their alloys are like relative to Columbus or TT. Are their CroMo tubes essentially like Verus and their NiCroMo like Verus HT or is it more like OX or 853?

Doh... sorry!

Hansen Su

[steve garro]

Gotcha...

Well, maybe a good time to try that Kaisei stuff! I've looked at the UBI site but couldn't tell what their alloys are like relative to Columbus or TT. Are their CroMo tubes essentially like Verus and their NiCroMo like Verus HT or is it more like OX or 853?

Very workable, real nice stuff.

They have a "regular" tube set, and the heat treated, which is harder - K19 I think = it's REALLY nice stuff, but road lengths only.

Also Verus is Cro-mo.

I do not think it contains any great amounts of Niobium, like the Spirit alloys

I think OX is pretty high in Chromium, it's HARD - I use lots of Supertherm now
- Garro.

[jclay]

Yep.

Pretty standard diameters and thicknesses for general road use.

NOT the same as the old Prestige, which was beautiful, I got to use lots of it, just beautiful.
Too short for MTB's nowadays

Some other really beautiful tubing is Kaisei, which can be acquired from United Bicycle Institute


- Garro.

I don't see Kaisei tubing listed on UBI's website. Do they, or anyone else, still offer it?

[cicli polito]

I sure hope so they still have it! just ordered a few sets before the new year, and it was available on the ubi website then. Great tubing.

[anon.]

I sure hope so they still have it! just ordered a few sets before the new year, and it was available on the ubi website then. Great tubing.

UBI is no longer carrying kaisei. Apparently Jan H and the folks at compass are looking into distributing full sets of tubes in addition to the fork blades that they currently stock.