Cyclocross - Frame Material

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA

View Full Version : Frame Material

Chels
07-30-04, 12:34 PM
Hello,

Hoping that I can get some good advice from the members of this forum. I've been riding cross for about two years now. Recently started racing quite a bit So far I've been using a decent used steel frame. I think that I am about to upgrade. I don't have an unlimited budget but I am ready to invest in a great frame. I plan on using it for a long, long time.

The question is one of material. I am considering a few high end aluminum frames and a few titanium frames. Can someone help me with the advantages and disadvantages of each? Specifically, is the added cost of a titanium frame worth it?

Thanks for the help.

HuckMeat
08-01-04, 02:07 AM
I won't lie, I'm biased; I ride a dean torreys cti (ti/carbon) cross. (www.deanbikes.com - mine is the one in the picture)

I've ridden 3 different cross bikes now (ridden meaning real road/trail time). But the frame materials typically, in my biased opinion:

Steel - GOOD steel is nice - Not the typical production cro-mo, but real steel. Damps well, little bit of spring, repairable. Good does not mean the lightest - The heavier steel I've test ridden has felt nice - it really has more to do with tube alloys and geometries.

Cheap AL - rides very harsh, very stiff. Cheap, light.

"Tuned" or better AL - very good ride, very light

Ti - Similar to steel in feel, generally lighter (depends on design), sexy. generally more Brittle than steel, things like derraiulr hangers are not easly fixed by any old shop - make sure they are replaceable.

Just my 0.002. To be honest, I love my bike, but the bianchi AL frames rode _really_ nice, and I'd have fair chunk of change in my pocket if I had gone that route.



Hello,

Hoping that I can get some good advice from the members of this forum. I've been riding cross for about two years now. Recently started racing quite a bit So far I've been using a decent used steel frame. I think that I am about to upgrade. I don't have an unlimited budget but I am ready to invest in a great frame. I plan on using it for a long, long time.

The question is one of material. I am considering a few high end aluminum frames and a few titanium frames. Can someone help me with the advantages and disadvantages of each? Specifically, is the added cost of a titanium frame worth it?

Thanks for the help.