Road Cycling - Cro-moly VS aluminum frame and Fuji Ace VS Fuji Finest

Does anyone have an idea of the pros and cons of having a cro-moly steel frame or an aluminum frame?

I'm a beginner and new to cycling, you may have read my other post of if it would be well worth it to buy a new bike.

As one suggested, I'm looking at the Fuji Ace (http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=1,2,3,4,5,19,6,7,8,18,16,9,10,20,11,12,13,17,15,14,54,55,56,57&myArrayID=18) . It looks like a good starting bike and it can be found under $500. My question is, what advances does a Fuji Finest (http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=1,2,3,4,5,19,6,7,8,18,16,9,10,20,11,12,13,17,15,14,54,55,56,57&myArrayID=15) have over the Ace? I read the technical differences on the manufacturers site, but I don't know how much of a difference it makes, like is it worth 50-100 bucks extra? Will it pay off in a couple years of cycling? I'm looking for something I will atleast be satisfied for a few years. I may be riding atleast a few times a week and hopefully entering some small beginners races in a year or two. Is it worth it in the long run to pay an extra 100-150 for the Finest Al? Would the aluminum frame be worth it or how much will it help?

Today I went to a small local bike shop (the only one within a good 70 miles...I live in a pretty rural area) and they only had one road bike...a few Specialized Allez's at $760. I didn't know to ask at the time...I'm guessing the Allez was aluminum? How does it compare to the Finest Aluminum?

I know some of it can be all personal preference...that one bike will just feel right, but I don't have the oppurtuny at this time to check out many difference choices.

Thanks for any help

I had a look at Specialized's site, and they show several models in the Allez family, all of which are aluminum. Those would certainly be compotent bikes and since the dealer is pretty much the only one around, you might want to consider them simply on the basis of having dealer support locally (as opposed to buying by mail-order, Internet, or driving further than you'd want to go again when it's time for service).

A rundown on the conventional wisdom about steel and aluminum:

A frame made of thin-walled steel, whether chromoly or some other alloy of steel, generally has a little bit of inherent springy-ness that can mute vibrations, and has a smooth "ride." Frames that have thick-walled steel tubing may negate this potential benefit, and will obviously weigh more too.

Aluminum has a high strength-to-weight ratio and has the potential to build affordable frames that are quite light. Aluminum fatigues when flexed to any extent, so aluminum frames have to be designed with that in mind. Generally, they're built with large-diameter tubes that are stiff and therefore flex-resistant and therefore fatigue slowly, but the stiffness can result in a firm/harsh "ride." So a big benefit of aluminum is that it can be lighter, and the stiffness may make it feel very responsive in a sprint too. I know my Cannondale touring bike is much more stable with a heavy load of baggage than my whippy old Schwinn Voyageur, due to the Cannondale's rigid aluminum frame. Not that I don't miss my Voyageur nonetheless...

In your situation, I wouldn't get concerned about that stuff. If you can afford an Allez and they have one in a good size for you, go for it. The frame is good enough that you aren't throwing money down a hole if you decide to upgrade parts on it later. :) I see that they're using "compact" geometry on the Allez models, so the sizing is going to run differently than a conventional design would. The shop should be able to guide you there, unless they're trying to pawn off an ill-fitting bike because they happen to have it in stock. You can trade out to some 700 x 28 tires for a little more smoothness and rim protection if you want. I'm sure you'll be grinning ear-to-ear at the speed either way. :)

Cheap aluminum in your price range is no lighter than steel and rides worse.Anything else is hooey. Most people are not happy with cheap low end bikes for long if they stay with the sport.Only advantage to buying the bottom of the barrel is that if it becomes a garage ornament,you aren't out much.If you stick with it you will most likely spend a lot on upgrades.Better to spend a few more dollars to begin with, but don't spend it on an aluminum frame and cheap components.Put the money into better comonents.

The aluminum Finest looks to be maybe 21 pounds while the Ace is 25, is this all that much of a difference or no?

A new 21lb $500 bike would scare me.

That little of weight for that little of money, they are cutting too much corner somewhere.

With all due respedt,that's just hooey!

The frame is the heart and the focal point of a bike. There are several manufacturer's that use the same frame and spec them with various levels of componentry. Get the bike with the frame you like. It can be upgraded to better components down the road. Bottom line is to buy the one that fits you best and the one that you like the most. You can in most cases get a steel framed bike with better components than a alu. spec'd one. there are major ride differences between steel and alu. If you can I suggest trying both. Listening to us is nothing compared to finding what you like that fits your budget.

The ride quality of steel ( or aluminum/ti/carbon fiber) bikes varies a lot. Some are stiff, some are not. Some are light, some are not.

My Serotta (Columbus tubing) was fairly flexible. The bottom bracket would flex enough in a sprint that it would rub the front derailleur. My Lemond Zurich (853) had a very nice rigidity.

The aluminum bikes I've owned varied a lot too. My TREK (bonded) was much more flexible than my Cannondale (Cadd 3 Saeco).

Ride as many different bikes as you can. Buy the best frame you can afford that FITS you and your style of riding. Some prefer rigidity others like a softer ride. There are many choices in every material.

Low end aluminum rides very rough as there is little tube manipulation done to keep the cost down.

Low end steel has some give to it and will ride much nicer.

A $500 bike will get you going, but wouldn't be a good candidate to upgrade. Why? The frame will be low end (heavy), it will be 8-speed when everything else is 9-speed, and you'd have to upgrade almost every part to reach a desirable point.

Your choices. . .

1) Buy a better bike now. Spend at least $800-$1,000US. You should get a good frame worth upgrading at this price point, but modest quality components. Get a 9-speed drivetrain, since going from 8- to 9-speed is a big, expensive upgrade.

2) Buy the bike you can afford now, but be prepared to buy another bike in a year or two or three when your bike starts to wear out, seem heavy, or you want to race. Keep your old bike for winter riding, commuting, fun rides with the family, or as a spare.

How about the frame on an $800 Allez A1 24?

On the manufacturers site, it says... "FRAME - A1 Premium Aluminum, heat treated, compact geometry frame "

Would this be a good bike to buy to upgrade later? Or is this frame too cheap?

The Allez A1 24 is an 8-speed drivetrain and is Specialized's low-end frame. I would not consider this bike to be upgradeable.

The Allez A1 27 comes with Shimano Tiagra and 105 components and a 9-speed drivetrain. The frame isn't top of the line, but is the same one found on the higher-end Allez A1 SE. Tiagra and 105 are good components and will last a while. Replace them only as they wear out. This bike may be a little heavy for racing right out of the box, but with some new wheels and a few upgrades, you could race this bike.

The compact frames require some special fitting. Make sure your LBS can help you here, and knows what it is doing.

For what it's worth...

I bought the A1 Sport 27 about 3 weeks ago. Love it. Carbon fork made a noticable difference over the A1 24, not to mention the frame on the Sport is better, too... I should also mention the 'noticable' difference was riding a few laps around the LBS choppy parking lot, not several miles, if that says anything...

...the geometry of the bike is different than the 'traditional' bikes, but I found it fit me better than the comparable Trek with a traditional frame.

After 3 weeks I would say the Specialized is a good entry level bike and should last me several miles and years to come...(I have a little over 200 miles so far...)

Hope that helps...:beer:

Thanks for the advice about the Allez. As of now I don't have the money for an Allez 27, so I am thinking of buying a Fuji Ace for now, and getting another bike in a year or so when I have the money, which will be an upgradable bike.