I think he got his metals mixed up.
All of those statements are true ... if you substitute "aluminium" for "steel" and "steel" for "aluminium" ...
--
Steven L. Sheffield stevens at veloworks dot com veloworks at earthlink dot net aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash
> From: "garth libre" <rabbitman@mindspring.com>
> Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 12:08:15 -0400
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: [CR]Slanderous anti steel statements made by LBS
>
> My ego is pretty pumped up nowadays because after methodical training, my
> speed continues to climb. This morning I was one minute late for the fastest
> Saturday morning peloton on key Biscayne, and in five miles, I was able to
> chase them down. Granted I was going near full out, and some of them may have
> had a little in reserve, but I still chased them down. I am 47 and most of
> them are in their 20's and 30's. I ride lugged steel with 14 speeds and they
> have 16,18 and 20 gears to choose from. I was proud.
>
> I proceeded to our local bike shop, that has a cash register that never stops
> ringing. Most people go there for the unbelievable low prices on good quality
> bike clothes. Bike shorts that go for more than $50 and $60, sell for $20 and
> $25, while jerseys that sell for $40 and $50 often sell for $13, $11 and
> sometimes even $6. My girlfriend wants to switch to a road bike, and let it
> slip that she was in the market. The salesman jumped on the possibility of a
> sale and directed her to a stable of aluminum bikes. I mentioned that she will
> be considering steel too, only to be subjected to a cascade of anti steel
> propaganda. Most stores in our area have at least some high end steel bikes,
> but this store has sworn off aluminum, giving this salesman the opportunity to
> formulate some horrible discriminatory babble. I must admit to being a mature
> man, but somehow his barrage caused me some physical pain. Maybe you are more
> resistant than I am, but for what it's worth this was the attack on my
> sensitive soul: 1) We don't sell steel anymore because serious road bikes are
> all aluminum now. 2) Yes, some high end road bikes are still made of steel,
> but they are very expensive, even though steel is cheap to make. They are
> expensive because to warrantee them the manufacturers need to tack on big
> margins because every couple of seasons the steel requires re-bending to get
> them back straight. Bend them enough and they just snap. 3) Steel bikes are
> throwaway luxuries, but aluminum lasts forever. 4) The low end aluminum bikes
> come with aluminum forks instead of steel because steel forks are so imprecise
> that it's hard to keep these bikes handling predictably. Better aluminum bikes
> come with carbon fiber forks, but steel would just be too sloppy even though
> it's comfortable.
>
> I am usually well composed and enjoy a good debate, but this guy had me on the
> ropes. I hope I see him on the road one day, when I would sooner spit blood
> then not drop this guy in my lugged wake. Maybe I need therapy, so I can
> continue to shop there. Garth Libre, feeling good and bad in South Florida.