There are more choices in bike frame materials than ever before. If you’re having a hard time determining which one is right for you, read on and educate yourself.
We are in an interesting time when it comes to bikes, with the popularity of both newer technologies and no-frills, retro machines rising in popularity. While we’d all like to have a garage full of bikes for every type of riding, this isn’t practical for most people. When shopping for a new bike, frame material is one of the most important decisions you have to make. This will determine the weight, durability, ride quality, and price range.
While there are some exotic materials that have limited use, I’ll limit this to the most common ones you’ll see on conventional and custom bikes.
Steel
Steel is a material you see on really cheap or mid to high end bikes depending on the quality of tubing used. For the sake of this article, I’m going to focus on the best quality chromoly steel you’ll get on a bike at a bike shop. A steel frame is the heaviest material option, but light enough to ride a lightweight bike. A steel frame will be about 1/2 lb heavier than a comparable aluminum frame, so the overall weight penalty isn’t too high. What makes steel attractive is its durability and ride quality. A well-made steel frame has an infinite fatigue life, which is why you see 30-year-old bikes that are still going strong. It is also shock resistant and harder to dent than aluminum. This durability makes it a good choice for commuting, touring, and jumping bikes. Steel can rust if left untreated, but keep it to a minimum, it’s easy to prevent pipes from rusting. Touch up any scratches in the paint and periodically spray the inside of the frame with spray oil or wax.
While durability is a great practical reason to ride a steel bike, it’s the quality of the ride that appeals to many people. There’s a reason springs are made of steel. It has a natural springiness that translates into a smooth yet lively ride. While geometry also plays a role in a bike’s handling, a good steel bike hugs the road or weaves through corners. During a long trip, you don’t get hit as much. Steel is better suited for hardtails or front suspension bikes, but is too heavy when mounted on a full suspension bike.
Aluminum
This is currently the most common material used for bicycles. You can get an aluminum-framed bike from under $300 and up to many thousands. As with steel, there are different qualities of pipe. Aluminum is cheap for the weight. This appeals to a lot of people who want a light bike. The downside of aluminum is that it has a limited fatigue life and rides harder than other materials. Over time, the aluminum will fatigue and the developer stress will crack. For most people, they don’t keep a bike long enough or ride it hard enough to exceed the fatigue life of an aluminum frame, but I’ve had one case where I personally went through three aluminum frames in three seasons. Aluminum is a soft metal, so tubes need to be oversized to be strong, which tends to lead to a harder ride than steel or carbon fiber. During a long trip, this can cause discomfort and more fatigue in your body. Because it is weldable and machinable, aluminum suits lightweight hardtails, road bikes, and full suspension bikes.
carbon fiber
While the other materials used for frames are metals of some kind, carbon fiber is a composite material that is a woven fabric molded into place with resin (high-tech plastic). Because of this, carbon fiber can behave no matter how it is designed. It can be rigid or lenient. In many cases, a carbon fiber frame is designed to be torsionally stiff and have a bit of vertical give for comfort. Because it is molded, the shape options are almost limitless. Many frames appear more organic than a mechanical creation.
For road and mountain biking, where the best performance (light weight and maximum power transfer) has been chosen at the expense of everything else, carbon fiber is an amazing material as it can be light, stiff and smooth at all times. same package. The downside of carbon fiber is cost and durability. Although they are designed to withstand the load of riding, carbon fiber tubes do not withstand impacts very well. What would dent a steel tube can break or crush a carbon tube. Metal tubes tend to bend, but carbon often shears when it fails. This makes it a good material for road riding, but unless you’re racing at a very high level it’s hard to recommend it for mountain bikes, shocks are going to happen off-road.
Overview
Each of the materials has its place. Carbon fiber for high performance mountain and road bikes. Steel for people who want a great bike to ride but are willing to have a slightly heavier bike. Aluminum for full suspension mountain bikes and affordable lightweight bikes.
