Mountain Biking - Steel or Ti for hardtail frame?

I found a site claiming that steel or Ti is the most suitable material for a hartail frame.

This contradicts many top manufactures making hardtails out of aluminium.

They must be wrong.

From my knowlage of bikes, (not to get.) I would say the best one would be Ti. That's just what I would go with. Or Taper Wall Aluminum.

Steel, and Ti are better in some areas, and worse in others. Depends on the type of riding you are doing. A custom made steel/ Ti bike is a very amazing thing. Some frames are thousands of $$$.

Ti for the lightness and steel because it's a good deal.

Titanium will match steel in every way, at a lower weight and higher price. A good steel hardtail is simply an inexpensive way to get into XC riding. Aluminum lacks the stregth of the other two, so they draw the tubing walls out thinner and make the diameter larger. This makes a strong and light bike, but uncomfortably stiff. Steel and Ti are known for their "Compliant" rides. They could be made as stiff as aluminum, but the selling point is comfort. Our tandem is made out of titanium, as it offers a much more comfortable ride than a comparable aluminum one would, but it also cost twice as much.

I strongly prefer aluminum for hardtails. Lighter than steel, less flex than Ti. Cheap like borscht. I have 2.1" tires on my bike and 4" of travel up front. If I need more comfort than that, I should ride a Barcalounger or full-suspension.

Ditto. I too prefer aluminum on my HT's. Ti feels too "mushy", and steel feels like, well - steel.

Mushy Ti?

Yes, as in excessively "plush". I can feel the track/trail more readily with an aluminum frame. A Ti frame seems to absorb many of the track's subtleties and makes it feel like I'm riding on air sometimes - and I don't like that feeling.

..............and steel feels like, well - steel.

Thank the good lord for that.

In my opinion, unless you are racing for prize money, a fine steel frame is the way to go.

If I hold the rear brake and really stand on the cranks, I can flex our tandem. But when the two of us are pedalling, there's no flex, and we have some pretty snappy performance. For road bikes, I prefer steel, no question. But if you've got the money for a quality titanium frame, they're certainly worth it.

Don't knock another man's frame until you've ridden it a while.