Well apparently the end of another era has arrived. Eastons support of the manufacturing of Scandium in the US has been stopped and every Scandium bike (ones manufactured overseas have been using the Tai tube sets already for a number of years) from now on will use the overseas version.
The problem is that all Scandium tubing apparently is not created equally and the overseas stuff is somewhat lesser than the US made according to a frame builder I talked to recently who was quite upset by this development after trying to order some and talking about it with Nova supply. It is not a really big thing in the big picture it just takes a nice light arrow from the custom builders quiver in that a US tubeset was about 20% lighter than the overseas version and cost less here
For example a Niner etc. Scandium frame made overseas will weigh in at 3.5 lbs whereas a comparable one made in the states of the US tubing was slightly under 3 lbs.. The strength of the tubing is not really at issue here mind you, just the weight which does matter to some folks, especially a quality builder trying to get the most out of his supplies to be able to offer quality stand alone products.
Scandium tubing is actually 7050 Alu which is really hard to weld with enough Scandium added to it to make it weldable and the result was a strong and light tubeset. Easton has always made a 7005 Alu tubeset that while not as light as the Scandium is also strong and will still make a 3.5 lb hardtail. So if you are in the market for a custom made in the US Scandium frame basically don't bother paying for the extra cost of the overseas tubing labeled as such and just spec it with the lite 7005 series.
And anyone with a US made Scandium frameset has a collectors item now
In the immortal words of KV, so it goes.
The problem is that all Scandium tubing apparently is not created equally and the overseas stuff is somewhat lesser than the US made according to a frame builder I talked to recently who was quite upset by this development after trying to order some and talking about it with Nova supply. It is not a really big thing in the big picture it just takes a nice light arrow from the custom builders quiver in that a US tubeset was about 20% lighter than the overseas version and cost less here
For example a Niner etc. Scandium frame made overseas will weigh in at 3.5 lbs whereas a comparable one made in the states of the US tubing was slightly under 3 lbs.. The strength of the tubing is not really at issue here mind you, just the weight which does matter to some folks, especially a quality builder trying to get the most out of his supplies to be able to offer quality stand alone products.
Scandium tubing is actually 7050 Alu which is really hard to weld with enough Scandium added to it to make it weldable and the result was a strong and light tubeset. Easton has always made a 7005 Alu tubeset that while not as light as the Scandium is also strong and will still make a 3.5 lb hardtail. So if you are in the market for a custom made in the US Scandium frame basically don't bother paying for the extra cost of the overseas tubing labeled as such and just spec it with the lite 7005 series.
And anyone with a US made Scandium frameset has a collectors item now
In the immortal words of KV, so it goes.