Can someone point me to an article or give me a quick run down on bike frame materials? Specifically I want to know what the difference is between steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber. Pluses and minuses of each and what is each best at (centuries, track, climbing, etc).
I've been riding 5 to 6 days a week now for about 6 months on an aluminum frame/fork that I bought because it was cheap. I love riding and I think it's time to buy a decent bike now that I know I'm committed. I borrowed my dad's all carbon fiber frame the other day and I finally felt why people always say my frame is so stiff.
By the way, i read the sticky at the top about picking a frame. There's an ok description there, but the article link doesn't work any more and I'm looking for the good/bad about each frame and what they are typically used for .
If you read through that entire link, and if you look at other discussions in the forum archive, you'll find that it's hard to break down the various frame materials in terms of what's best for what purpose. A lot of a frame's effectiveness is not in the materials, but in its geometry and manufacture.
So I would recommend doing what I did not take the time to do when I bought my aluminum-framed bike last year: test ride as many bikes as possible. That way you'll find out if you favor the shock-absorption of steel over the weight savings of aluminum or carbon fiber. And which material handles most favorably.
In my limited experience, racers tend to go for lighter aluminum and CF bikes, while brevet and touring riders tend to favor steel. But that's only a generalization.
Figure out how you want to use the bike. And then ride 'em all and figure out what feels best. 🙂
Thanks ontheroadid. Test rides are a great idea. I read the article (great article by the way - thanks LeDomestique!) and have read several other sites trying to get a handle on this, and you're right - there is no "best" material. I guess if there were, everything would be made out of that one material...
ontheroadid said:
Hi Guaps:
If you read through that entire link, and if you look at other discussions in the forum archive, you'll find that it's hard to break down the various frame materials in terms of what's best for what purpose. A lot of a frame's effectiveness is not in the materials, but in its geometry and manufacture.
So I would recommend doing what I did not take the time to do when I bought my aluminum-framed bike last year: test ride as many bikes as possible. That way you'll find out if you favor the shock-absorption of steel over the weight savings of aluminum or carbon fiber. And which material handles most favorably.
In my limited experience, racers tend to go for lighter aluminum and CF bikes, while brevet and touring riders tend to favor steel. But that's only a generalization.
Figure out how you want to use the bike. And then ride 'em all and figure out what feels best. 🙂
