If you’re over around 180-200 pounds, you’ll probably want to go with a frame with a strength rating on the stronger side. After you’ve gotten years of enjoyment out of your aluminum frame, it can be melted down and recycled into an endless number of products including soda cans, building materials, or a new bike frame. This lowers costs but increases the weight. When buying a bike frame, It’s important that you choose the right size. If you plan to tour on your bike, make sure that it has the proper braze-ons or eyelets for mounting racks. In fact, a low-end carbon frame could weight more than a high-end aluminum frame. The frame is arguably the most important component of the bicycle. To compare sizes, you can look at the exact measurements on the manufacturer’s website. Type of butting include: Both aluminum and steel frames can be butted. Aluminum is lightweight in general, but the very best aluminum frames have “butted” tubing made of top-end alloys. Another spot could have weakened as well. This process allows manufacturers to form the frame thinner in areas where some flexibility is desired and thicker where strength is needed. How long your aluminum frame lasts depends on the type of riding you do, how you treat it, and the quality of the aluminum and welds. The raw material is expensive, and it’s just a tricky metal to work with. Due to the lower price, aluminum is a popular choice for cycling events that are hard on frames or events where there is a high likelihood of crashing, like downhill or freeride mountain biking. When repaired correctly, the frame is as good as new. Of the two, 6061 is considered to be slightly superior because it's a touch lighter and easier to work with. The low price is the reason that aluminum frames were introduced in the first place. Many manufactures offer complete 15 lb (6.8 kg) carbon road bikes. Maybe a new alloy or some really sophisticated butting? This means that an aluminum frame won’t corrode away over time. Before carbon fiber became affordable and accessible to cyclists, aluminum was the most common frame material. For example, you must decide: For me, steel is the winner. The result is a more enjoyable ride that expands the opportunities for you to comfortably enjoy your aluminum frame. After enough miles, the material eventually cracks and fails. To meet a lower price point, some manufacturers use a lower grade of carbon fiber that uses more epoxy and fillers. Mostly due to their heavy weight. Carbon frames themselves weighs as little as 700-1000 grams. Where do you stand on the steel vs aluminum bike frame debate? This makes the bike slower and less efficient than carbon or aluminum. It is also easier to spot cracks in aluminum than it is in carbon fiber. Titanium frames can also be lugged. If you spot any scratches that appear deeper than the paint, use a coin to tap around the scratch. This can cause the frame to become brittle and eventually break. Carbon fiber frames may be more dangerous than aluminum frames. More than ever, an aluminum bike is the only bike you’ll need for recreation, touring, training, and competition. You can also accidentally crack a frame by overtightening components, Harder to carry luggage because you can’t mount racks and panniers to most carbon frames, Bad for the environment because carbon fiber is not very recyclable, Safety can be an issue because carbon frames can fail without warning if they are compromised, More durable. For example, a race bike with an aggressive riding position will be less comfortable than a hybrid bike with an upright seating position. Bikepacking bags attach directly to the frame with straps and buckles. You can’t just take it to a welder. Aluminum can withstand a harder impact without cracking or failing because it is less brittle, More environmentally friendly. All Rights Reserved. It’s not completely rigid. a metal that is mixed with other elements to improve the metal’s characteristics. Aluminum mountain bike frames weigh around 1 pound more than comparable carbon frames. If you’re on a tight budget, you can save some money by choosing a bike with an aluminum frame. Different types of resin can be used in the manufacture of the carbon to change the characteristics of the material. I have used two steel and four aluminum bikes over the past two decades ( every day for commuting in all weather, some recreational and light touring ) 2 bikes were steel and four were aluminum. Thousands of these filaments are combined to form a tow or ribbon. Choosing a frame material depends on the amount of abuse you expect your bike to undergo, and how crucial a few pounds will be during competition. anywhere also brings peace of mind to me, as a bicycle tourist. It takes more man-hours and much of the work must be done by hand instead of a machine. The stiffness of the 7005 frame … I thought that aluminum frame would be better for me bc it’s lighter but after reading this article I think about buying a steel-framed bike. For my type of riding (recreational day-long rides) sounds as if Aluminium or Titanium is the way to go. They don’t use any butting, oversizing, or strange shapes. You also don’t want the frame to flex excessively and waste energy. In reference to bicycle frames, “alloy” means aluminum alloy, unless the description includes another type of material. Chromoly vs Aluminum. For a small weight sacrifice, you gain increased durability, repairability, and comfort. The frame may suffer a cosmetic dent but still remain rideable. This gives the bike some natural shock absorption. An aluminum bike may be the better buy at lower price ranges. Different brands.The Aluminum frames without exception all ‘wore out’ with hard use, on average got four or five years use out of them before problems appeared, (example, cables rubbing against frame gouged grooves in the metal at the headtube, frames dented easily or they just deteriorated in terms of structural integrity – frame metal fatigue ). You want somebody who knows what they’re doing. Carbon fiber is the lightest material currently used to build bike frames. Make sure the wheels are aligned. Fewer specialized tools are required as well. Designers realised that large diameter, thin-walled tubes made for immensely stiff bikes, but it was years before alloy bikes with real engineered-in comfort became a thing. This is because the bike, including the headtube, downtube, seat tube, and top tube, is made as a single piece. You may hear some creaking or notice some changes in the ride quality. There is a lot of variation in the way that carbon frames are built as well as the way the carbon fiber itself is made. It takes some skill. Alloy frames are a relatively recent introduction to the world of bicycling. Particularly with modern techniques. Check out this guide to repairing a carbon bike for more info. Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames. Aluminum frames don’t fail in the same way. Aluminum itself isn’t strong enough for building bike frames. Most bamboo bikes are made by starting with strong bamboo poles then binding the joints together with fiber and resin. Butting can reduce the weight of a frame by 3-4 pounds. Contact. When aluminum alloy gets exposed to moisture, a hard film of aluminum oxide forms on the surface. One great feature of aluminum is that is incredibly recyclable. This means that you don’t have to worry about it weakening over time. The ability to repair my frame. Amateur racers who buy their own bikes may also enjoy the cost savings. The material was originally developed for use in the aerospace industry where parts need to be as light and strong as possible. Steel has some flex. Because both frame materials are so light, the weight of the components also plays a major role. Having said this, you could surely find someone who would be willing to TIG weld your broken aluminum frame to attempt a repair. Modern aluminum frames are competitively light. Carbon fiber has an incredibly high strength to weight ratio. The material really offers the best of all worlds. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. However, frame strength is determined by many factors. Privacy Policy. The raw material is expensive as well. Generally, you want your frame to be stiff laterally so you don’t waste energy flexing the frame from side to side as you push down on the pedals. This material is quite strong. This problem has mostly been solved on newer and higher-end carbon fiber frames. Frames have a maximum recommended rider weight listed in the specifications. The reason is that it isn’t immediately obvious when a carbon fiber frame is structurally compromised. Frames can also be hydroformed after they are welded to fine-tune the shape. In fact, many manufacturers even offer a lifetime guarantee against defects. Steel and titanium are popular choices for custom made or ‘do it all’ types of frames. If your frame is even slightly too large or small for you, you may experience joint pain or discomfort. Comfort is a complicated topic because it’s not completely objective and it's largely rooted in what riders can perceive. They are strong and easy to manufacture. This results in an incredibly stiff frame. In fact, carbon fiber is the lightest bike frame material in use today. The goal of any frame is to offer extraordinary strength with minimum weight. This increases labor costs. This molten metal is then used to connect the bicycle frame tubes. If you spot any cracks, you’ll need to get them repaired or retire the frame. For most riders, a steel frame makes the most sense. For this reason, aluminum frames are much more environmentally friendly than carbon fiber frames. They can vary the direction of the carbon fiber. That says something about the material. Modern high-end aluminum frames are almost as comfortable as carbon frames. If you don’t really care if the bike lasts for the rest of your life and you value weight over anything else, The Ideal Bikepacking or Bicycle Touring Tool Kit and Spare Parts List, How to Build a Low Budget Bikepacking or Bicycle Touring Setup for Less than $100, 16 Vs 20 Inch: The Best Folding Bike Wheel Size, Touring with a Recumbent Bike: Pros and Cons, this interesting article on aluminum corrosion, this extensive guide on types of steel used for bike frames, this guide to welded vs brazed bike frames. Different grades of carbon fiber exist. 6061 and 7005 are the most common types of aluminum used for bike frames. Carbon fiber has come down a lot in price but is still on the higher end. Finally, the frames are heat-treated for strength. Aluminum is the cheapest bike frame material. Bike manufacturers may try to tell you that it’s impossible to repair a broken carbon frame in hopes that you buy a new bike instead. The truth is that most of it ends up in landfills. You might have to sacrifice some comfort or efficiency. If you find any issues, the frame could be compromised. Unfortunately, carbon fiber is not an environmentally friendly material. They can change the stiffness and flexibility of a particular section to optimize the frame for handling, responsiveness, comfort, and all other aspects of ride quality. In practice, this isn’t the case because aluminum is less brittle. 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