Every bicycle frame material has its list of assets and detriments. Folks who have felt the je ne sais quoi disposition of a well-crafted set of steel tubes often express a unique connection to their bikes that carbon and alloy enthusiasts don’t always appreciate. Heat-treated 4130 CrMo seems to move better with our mostly-water-bodies than any other tube ingredient, flowing with the legs and forgiving our mistakes with a familiar grace.
I recently had the chance to test ride a Production Privee Shan N°5 full-suspension 29er in the Black Hills of southwestern France, not far from the bike’s Andorran birthplace. Having owned 10+ steel frames throughout my cycling obsession, I was beyond pumped for this first full squish encounter.
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