The Front Triangle tubes are organized in order of increasing diameter, and within groups by increasing wall
thickness. Dimensions are metric unless otherwise indicated. Yield and tensile strengths are in units of 1000
Psi. For detailed information about the various alloys click here.
Tubes with unequal double butting are marked with paint at one end. An asterisk (*) in the chart shows where
the tube is marked.
Double asterisks (**) show where external butting occurs.
The chart will print out in 3 pages if you set the browser font size to 10 points.
For Information on True Temper S-3
25.4mm (1.000") Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special Features
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 580 60* 51 321 38 110 185/195 HOXPLAT02 *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 620 60* 51 361 38 110 185/195 HOXPLATOI *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.45/.7 612 102 64 280 64 102 185/195 HOXGOLD-TT7  
VERUS HT .7/.5/.7 600 102 62 270 63 102 175/185 HRCXTT2  
VERUS .9/.6/.9 600 102 63 270 63 102 100/110 RC2TT  
28.6mm (1.125") Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Special Features
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 580 60* 51 312 38 110 185/195 HOXPLAT05 *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 620 76 51 365 38 90 185/195 HOXPLAT04  
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 680 89* 51 392 38 110 185/195 HOXPLAT03 *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.46/.7 612 114* 51 320 51 76 185/195 HOXGOLD-TT3 *Paint
VERUS HT .76/.5/.65 650 102* 51 345 51 102 175/185 HOXPLAT-STI *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.5/.65 650 102* 51 340 51 102 185/195 HOXGOLD-TTI *Paint
VERUS HT .7/.5/.7 600 76 51 320 51 102 175/185 HOXRCXTT  
VERUS HT .8/.5/.8 650 89 51 358 51 102 175/185 HOXRCXST  
VERUS HT .8/.56/.8 650 178* 63 244 63 102 175/185 HRCXDT2 *Paint
VERUS .9/.6/.9 620 102 63 290 63 102 100/110 RC2DT  
VERUS .9/.6 650 102 63 485 - - 100/110 RC2ST  
VERUS 1/.7 540 64* 63 413 - - 100/110 AVRST *Paint
28.6mm External Butt Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special Features
VERUS .99/.56/.97 635 178 38 419 38** 76** 100/110 HOXPLAT-ST5 **Ext. Butt, 76mm
OX PLATINUM .99/.56/.97 635 178 38 419 38** 76** 135/150 HOXPLAT-ST7 ** Ext. Butt, 76mm
1 VERUS .8/1.3 560 - 1 - 452 38** 70** 100/110 AVROBST560 ** Ext. Butt, 70mm
1 VERUS .8/1.3 580 - - 472 38** 70** 100/110 AVROBST580 ** Ext. Butt, 70mm
1 VERUS .8/1.3 649 - - 541 38** 70** 100/110 AVROBST649 ** Ext. Butt, 70mm
30mm (1.181") Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part $ Number ] Special Features
VERUS HT .81/.56/.9 635 65 51 303 89 127* 135/150 HTTHBDDT *Pamt
VERUS .81/.56/.9 635 65 51 303 89 127* 100/110 TTHBDDT *Paint
31.8mm (1.250") Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special Features
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 580 60* 51 321 38 1 110 185/195 HOXPLAT08 *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 620 76 51 365 38 90 185/195 HOXPLAT07  
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 680 89* 51 392 38 110 185/195 HOXPLAT06 *Pamt
OX PLATINUM .7/.45/.7 650 102 51 345 51 102 185/195 HOXGOLD-DT3  
OX PLATINUM .7/.45/.7 645 63* 51 378 51 102 185/195 HOXGOLD-TT2 *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.5/.7 665 102* 63 271 63 165 185/195 HOXGOLD-TT4 *Paint
VERUS HT .7/.5/.7 665 102* 63 271 63 165 175/185 HOX3TTI *Paint
VERUS HT .8/.5/.7 665 102* 63 271 63 165 175/185 HOX3TT2 *Pamt
VERUS HT .76/.56/.76 610 III 51 152 51 244* 135/150 HOX2TT *Paint
VERUS HT .8/.5/.8 650 102 51 332 51 114 175/185 HOXRCXDT  
VERUS HT .8/.6/.7 645 102* 51 335 51 127 185/195 HOXGOLD-DT2 *Paint
VERUS .9/.6/.9 600 89 63 295 63 89 100/110 AVRTT  
VERUS .9/.6/.9 635 89 63 330 63 89 100/110 AVRDT  
VERUS HT .9/.6/.9 635 89 63 330 63 89 135/150 HAVRDT  
VERUS HT .7/.6 635 147 51 437 - - 135/150 VERUS STI  
OX PLATINUM .7/.6 635 147 51 437 - - 135/150 HOXPLAT-ST6  
34.9mm (1.375") Walls Length 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special Features
OX PLATINUM ' .7/.4/.7 640 76* 51 365 38 1 110 185/195 HOXPLATIO *Paint
OX PLATINUM .7/.4/.7 691 89 51 423 38 90 185/195 HOXPLAT09  
VERUS HT .7/.6/.7 665 100* 63 271 63 165 175/185 HOX3DTI *Paint
1 VERUS HT 1.1/.9/1.1 585 102 51 280 51 102 135/150 HOX2DT02  
44*4mm (1.750") Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special Features
VERUS HT 1.1/.8/1 549 102 51 244 51 102 135/150 HOX2DT05  
VERUS HT 1.1/.8/1 585 102 51 280 51 102 135/150 HOX2DT04  
Special Tandem Shapes And Aero Shapes Walls Length Butt 1 Taper 1 Center Taper 2 Butt 2 YId/Tensile Part Number Special  Features
25.4mm Round, Oval Ends .7/.5/.7 600 102 63 270 63 102 135/150 VHT HVELTT 31.8x17.8 oval@90°
26.6x42.6 mm .7/.6/.7 724 152 51 368 51 102 135/150 VHT HVELDTI Teardrop X-Section
26.7x37.2 mm .7/.5/.7 711 152 38 381 38 102 135/150 VHT HVELDT2 Teardrop X-Section
Curved Aero Seat .68/.58 754 76 38 648 - - 135/150 VHT HVELSTI 41x27 Oval Bottom
Curved Aero Seat .68/.58 754 76 38 648 - - 135/150 VHT HVELST2 34.9 Round Bottom
TANDEM TOP TUBE .9/.6/.9 1296 152 38 380 38       34.9 Round
(3 BUTTS) .9/.6/.9       368 38 76* 100/110 V TANDTT *Paint
34.5x54.9mm Oval 0.9 692 - - - - - 100/110 V FI-TDBT BB Connector Tube
OX PLATINUM - AIR HARDENABLE STEEL TUBING
TRUE TEMPER'S OX PLATINUM Series is based on state of the art steel metallurgy. The
metallurgists at True Temper began with an aerospace grade of air hardening steel and
modified it to enhance its properties for light weight bicycle frames. The ultimate tensile
strength exceeds 195,000 psi.
Air hardenable steels are desirable for high performance welded steel frames. At the edges of
the molten weld pool, as the metal freezes, an unavoidable microscopic notch is formed. This is
a stress concentrator that magnifies the actual stresses of riding by a factor of 4 to 6 times. The
weld is relatively small and cools so quickly that metallurgical changes occur creating
localized hard and brittle areas, if the alloy is not specifically designed to avoid this.
Air hardening steels are metallurgically designed so that as the steel cools and solidifies from
the molten state in air, the steel hardens to an even higher strength. The metallurgists must
control the alloying elements so that the hardened steel is also tough and able to absorb
impacts, rather than brittle and subject to fracturing.
True Temper not only solved these problems, but went further: Most heat treated steels tend to
anneal, or soften, when heated between about 1000°F and 1500°F. TIG Welding, which heats
the joint up to the melting point, must heat the part of the tube adjacent to the weld up into this
annealing range, thus locally weakening the tube. This drop in strength has no effect on every
day riding, but it does reduce the potential long term fatigue life and, in a crash, can lead to
buckling of the frame.
OX PLATINUM is very resistant to this annealing. Thus an OX PLATINUM frame will
survive crashes better, and also have a much better fatigue life.
When used on silver brazed lugged frames, OX PLATINUM neither air hardens nor
anneals. Your frame is at 195,000 psi strength throughout, with no weaknesses!
The PLATINUM Series alloys are ideal for both lugged and lugless frame construction!
PLATINUM main triangle tubes come in a range of wall thicknesses and butt lengths so
builders can fine tune the frame's stiffness and strength to the rider's needs.
VERUS HT - SPECIAL HEAT TREAT 4130 STEEL
True Temper's VERUS HT Series tubing is made possible by True Temper's decades of
experience in the heat treatment of 4130 steels for maximum performance. As steels are
strengthened by heat treatment, the ductility is reduced. If you were to heat treat 4130 steel as
hard as possible, the tensile strength would go all the way up to 255,000 psi. But the steel
would very brittle and subject to failure by fracture, making it unsuitable for bike frames. The
metallurgists at True Temper designed the VERUS HT heat treatment to reach the high level of
175,000psi., while still maintaining good ductility.
VERUS HT is also available at 150,000 psi tensile strength, midway in strength between True
Temper's 110,000 psi Stress Relieved VERUS steel, and their 175,000 psi VERUS HT steel
tubing. Naturally, frame builders use this tubing when they want characteristics between these
two strengths of steels. This VERUS HT maintains the workability of the stress relieved
VERUS, and approaches the strength of the VERUS HT Special Heat Treat.
The VERUS HT tubes, when designed for road bikes, gives you a light and lively frame which
will hold its alignment. In mountain bike diameters, you get a frame that goes where you want
it to, and will survive many more seasons than aluminum frames, while riding much better for
all those miles. Knowledgeable aggressive riders know that steel frames have just enough
compliance to improve handling on rough terrain.
VERUS: With all the hype in the bike industry about high strength this and higher strength
that, why would True Temper even offer a 110,000 psi steel? Well, caviar is a lot
fancier than pasta, but if you're going on a century ride, pasta is the better choice. True
Temper's RC2 Series tubing has twice the strength of a basic steel, so it is definitely a high
strength steel. It has been proven plenty strong for bicycle frames when used in wall
thicknesses of .6mm or greater.
True Temper's VERUS Stress Relieved 4130 steel is designed for reliability that is even
better than commercial grade 4130. This heat treatment removes internal stresses left over
from the manufacturing process. The end result of removing internal stresses is that the tube
(and your frame) lasts much longer.
The trade off for increased strength in ANY material is decreased ductility. The real world
result is that the failure mode gradually changes from controlled gradual bending to instant
catastrophic fracture. Heat treatment can vary the strength of 4130 steel from a very ductile
70,000 psi up to a hard and brittle 225,000 psi. At 100,00 psi, Stress Relieved 4130 is a very
reliable material with optimized properties for bicycle use.
But, you say, having absorbed all the hype, "Doesn't low strength mean high weight?" Not
necessarily. It turns out that, by the time you make a steel bike stiff enough that it feels great,
you have used enough steel in the tube walls to lower the stresses to where you don't need a
high strength steel to withstand the loads and still have a good safety factor.
For these reasons, True Temper uses Stress Relieved 4130 steel for the general purpose
VERUS main triangle tubing, seat stays and chain stays, and its fork blades. (There is a lot of
marketing effort going into graphite composite fork blades these days. Graphite composites
have one favorite failure mode: catastrophic fracture. Me, I'll continue to ride steel forks,
thank you.)