General: Questions about Samson frames

Hey everyone, I have some questions about Samson frames.

First, I was wondering about the standover height for a 56cm frame. I have a 32in. inseam, so I was wondering if a 56 would work for me. I'm about 6'1".

Second, I'm dropping weight, but am currently at around 240lbs, and am wondering if the Columbus steel is going to be sturdy enough for me. I figure, they're racing bikes, they must be built to withstand a lot of force, so how bad could extra weight be? I currently ride a Masi Coltello with no problems, so I guess, in short, is the Columbus tubing as strong/stronger than T6 aluminum?

Third, Worth it? Them shits is expensive.

It's steel, it will take whatever, better so than aluminum.

I don't see a reason why it won't fit you, but you'll have to put on a bit longer stem. It'll be a touch small, but that's how many people like their frames, and the bike will feel smaller, and will be more convinient for zipping around on.

Is it worth it? Assume that you are talking about an NJS frame, so that depends. Will it be gorgeous? Likely. Will the build quality be better than the Masi? Yes. It should last you a long time, and it will be a sweet frame to ride on. But there are some considerations that go along with riding a race frame. It will be stiffer, but that won't be too big a deal, stiffer frames are more fun, right? ;) Also, you'll have to drill the fork for a brake, and some Greenpeace-esque "Save the NJS" group will assassinate you. You can't fit wide tires on it. No fenders. It's expensive. If it's a sunny day cruiser bike, then I'd say hell yeah it's worth it. But if it's a commuter, then I'd say no. But don't listen to me.




Listen to what your heart tells you.....A beautiful frame is hard to resist.

The allure of track frames is too great. They're so damn beautiful.

Yeah, the Masi is pretty damn stiff (and has pretty aggressive geometry), so I am assuming that the steel frame will be comparable, or even a bit more forgiving, but not much. It would pretty much be a zipping around on bike. I made contact with the seller, and his opinion is that because of the aggressive geometry, an NJS bike fits a bit larger than other bikes. The bike I'm on now is just a little too large for me (but not enough to affect my ride), so I think the 56 will be perfect.

It's a graduation present from the parents, so I figured fuck yeah, go for the bike that would take me 6 months-1 year to save up for properly. The frame I'm looking at is just gorgeous. I can't resist it. I think I'm going to go for it.

I checked on the top tube length of my Masi, and it's the same as the frame I'm looking at, so that's a relief.

This isn't my first fixed gear/track bike, so no worries there. I live in Oklahoma, so pretty much hot/humid in the summer, cold in the winter, about 1 1/2 months of spring/fall. Not a lot of rain, not a lot of snow. Weather won't be a problem. Other than school, which I'm graduating in a few months, there isn't really a time/place where I would be locking it up outside for any extended period of time. Also, were I to lock it up outside, I would be using a mini-U to lock up the back wheel to the seat tube, and a kryptonite chain to loop through the headtube/wheel/whatever I'm chaining it to. Fort Knox, or close enough. At work, I'm able to bring my current bike in to store while I'm there, so no problem with that.

I was talking to someone at the LBS today, and he was saying that the shop had a few NJS frames, including a Samson, and it had a tendency to ride a little "noodly", as in, the back end was really light, so it would weave a bit.

Anyone know anything about that?

There is little out there that is stiffer than a legit track frame. Noodily by whos standards?