Mark Nobilette, of Nobilette Cycles, said, "I believe that KVA has finally made the stainless tube set that frame builders want. It integrates the best with the stainless fittings that are already out there."

Alex Cook, of A-train Cycles, said, "I was surprised and impressed with the workability of KVA MS2™ stainless tubing. KVA is an awesome company to do business with: from the ease of online ordering and customer services, to the care in packaging, and of course the finished product."

The popular SoCal builder, Ritte, has rapidly built a reputation making road race bicycles, and is excited about building with MS2™ tubing. Company founder, Spencer Canon, said, "We have noticed a certain liveliness in the ride quality of oversized stainless tubes that complements carbon fiber and it gives the frame a lot more feel. Of the stainless manufacturers, KVA offers more tubing options, which has allowed us to experiment more and come up with a design that has a carbon front triangle, and stainless rear triangle, lugs, bottom bracket shell, and head tube. From what we've seen, some of the stainless steel bikes and hybrids will be able to hold their own against all-carbon frames in a race. "

European bike builder, said, "Today I was able to assemble our first KVA stainless steel bike with some components I had laying around in my workshop. Although the frame is not finished, I was able to take it for a first ride. Although it was already dark outside, I was surprised to feel the first impression. The bike felt more crisp and direct than I had anticipated. I was expecting a more soft ride, but instead it felt very responsive. This was particularly noticeable when standing on the pedals, the bike really sets off once you put the power to the pedals."

Within the cycling community, carbon bikes, aluminum bikes, titanium bikes and steel bikes have been the standard in the industry. New patented welding and thermal processing technologies created by KVA STAINLESS™, allows bike builders to fabricate BMX, road bikes and mountain bikes with high-strength stainless steel bike tubing called MS2™. After years of engineering and development, KVA STAINLESS™ is introducing its new, patented, custom seam-welded MS2™ bicycle tubing. MS2™ stainless steel bicycle tubes are proudly made in the USA.

Already proven by KVA STAINLESS™ in other industries, patented KVA STAINLESS™ martensitic stainless steel structural tubing is now integrated into high performance bicycle frames to reduce weight, increase strength and stiffness.

It is important to note that KVA seam-weld technology effectively reduces the hardness of the weld, in both the fusion zone and the heat-affected zone. This reduction in hardness, and associated improvements in ductility, toughness and formability, allows air-hardenable martensitic stainless steels to be used in welded applications historically considered impractical.

In addition, KVA seam-weld technology does not limit the part from fully transforming into a homogenous, uniform microstructure after a solution heat-treatment. The base metal, heataffected zone and fusion zone all reach uniform properties after hardening.

MS2™ is an air-hardenable, martensitic stainless steel with amazing tensile strength > 200 ksi (1400 Mpa) which means it's twice as strong as titanium with a frame weight comparable to high-end aluminum. The tubing has excellent corrosion-resistance, with elongation > 14% and a hardness ~ 38-42 HRC.

MS2™ Stainless Steel tubing is made in the U.S.A. from first quality domestic stainless steel alloys using the most modern forming, welding and precision thermal processing technology available to produce custom-made tubing, including variable wall thickness known as "butted" tubes.

"Douglas Gore, vice-president of sales and business development, said, "Bike builders have been very generous with their ideas and thoughts, as well as extremely supportive. Cyclists should expect excellent ride characteristics, outstanding durability, and toughness from our new MS2™ bicycle tubing. And on the style side, stainless steel offers the timeless beauty and unmatched craftsmanship of an unpainted frame. In the olden days of cycling, pre-1975, bicycles were built with steel frames, plated steel spokes and chromed steel rims. When stainless steel spokes arrived everybody celebrated and immediately switched over. Stainless steel as a frame tubing material has held much promise, but until now has been seen as too expensive, too difficult to work with, or both. KVA STAINLESS™ solves these problems with MS2™."

"Paul Taylor, of Taylor Bicycles, said, "KVA STAINLESS™ is willing to listen to the frame builders and what they have to say, and takes their input seriously. I like the fact that the tubing is made in America and is readily available, in stock, and offered in a variety of diameters and sizes. The quality of the KVA'S MS2™ tubing is excellent and it's more user friendly and easier to work with than some of the competitors' stainless steel tubing. My customers love it!"

Excellent mechanical properties, including specific strength and stiffness, toughness and fatigue performance, can be achieved using MS²™ tubing in place of other materials. Ideal applications include silver brazed lugged construction and TIG welded bicycle frames.

Over the last two years, Joe McCrink, production manager and Danny Codd, director of engineering, have manufactured and tested numerous road bike frames using MS2™ tubing.

McCrink stated, "There is a growing interest for stainless steel frames as riders like the 'feel of steel'." McCrink and Codd recently attended Interbike to network with bicycle manufacturers. "There was much excitement and interest in KVA's stainless steel tubing technology across all bicycle market segments, from BMX to high-end road bikes. It's the right time for this technology in the bicycle industry," says Codd.

KVA STAINLESS™ is a privately owned company that provides innovative, low-cost, advanced, high-strength, martensitic stainless steel processing technology and solutions to an industrial customer base. It specializes in first-rate research and development, high quality manufacturing standards, and uncompromising customer service. KVA STAINLESS™ has grown out of Hi-Temp inc. Founded in 1953, Hi-Temp was one of the largest processors of martensitic stainless steels in North America. KVA STAINLESS™ owns several proprietary and patent-pending processing, joining and manufacturing methods for martensitic stainless steels.

KVA STAINLESS and MS2 are trademarks of KVA Stainless Inc.

For additional information, click here or call 760-489-5821.

Contact us with inquiries.