Commuting - Preferred Frame Material for the Daily Commuter

I was just thinking here....

Which frame material do you think would best suit your daily commute?

Please vote for your preferred frame material. If you'd like, please feel free to state why you've selected that particular frame material as best suited for your commute.

BTW - There are no wrong answers, as taste is a very subjective factor.

- Slim :)

Any, other than Aluminum.

duh, steel is real

Anything metal. I've owned steel and aluminum bikes before, and haven't noticed any difference in ride smoothness between them. I think the harshness of aluminum is highly overstated.

I still remain unconvinced about the long-term durability of carbon, particularly over less-than-perfect roads.

duh, steel is real

As opposed to... what? I didn't see a unicorn horn option in the poll. Please tell me that you don't think Al, C, and Ti are imaginary.

My bike has taken me to work in 100F degree summers,
heavy rains, light snow and salted roads in the winter.
100 miles per week going on 2 years now(2009 FUJI Newest 1.0).
So my vote is for aluminum :D

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5359004076_6a3d106ded_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/44332608@N03/5359004076/)
RESPECT OTHERS (http://www.flickr.com/photos/44332608@N03/5359004076/) by 1nterceptor (http://www.flickr.com/people/44332608@N03/), on Flickr

I voted Al, but really the thing that matters more than frame material is that it fits your body and is well-set up for the commute.

Steel is the best. Riding a steel bike gives me a peace of mind that I don't get with other materials. My second choice would be aluminium. I hate anything carbon fibre, I don't trust CF. A CF bike might be ok for a one time race, but for daily commuting/utility riding it's pointless.

My '00 Trek 5200 and its +30k miles beg to differ.

My current bike is aluminium, but I've had various alu parts suddenly fail on me (crankarms while accelerating in a busy street, that was fun) or horribly oxidize (kickstands).
Since carbon fibre is looking to be the asbestos of the future, for my next bike I would prefer either steel or titanium for it's lovely (anti-)oxidizing properties.

I switch back and forth between steel (crosscheck) and al (newest 1.0) I like them both, but I love my Surly. I dont know if it is because of the frame or not. Most important thing to me is the seat, frame dont matter (much).

I like not having to worry about rust, and cost is a factor, so I choose aluminum.

I would prefer either steel or titanium for it's lovely (anti-)oxidizing properties.

Steel oxidizes quite nicely. It's called rust. According to some, it never sleeps.

Lately, I'm on a steel bike as my main commuter. Last year, aluminum. If I built a bamboo or wooden bike, I'd thrilled to commute on that one; if I could afford Ti or CF, I'd commute on them, too.

No preference. More important that it's a bike, construction material is mere nuance.

duh, steel is real

:thumb:

Of course, not that al isn't; my al 29er serves me well every day... but there's something so...well, real, about my rigid steel steed.

Why are you guys NOT voting your preferences?


If you've already stated your postion on frame materias, please come back and vote.

Thank you

- Slim :)

Titanium.

Doesn't rust, needs no paint to leave behind on the parking rack, scratches buff out with a Scotch Brite pad.

Heavenly ride too.

wood is good.

i'm old school, i don't trust any of these newfangled metallic materials for frame construction. they either rust into oblivion at the first drop of moisture or catastrophically fail at the slightest of impacts.

Wood: hundreds of thousands of years of development
Steel: barely a thousand years, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?

but my real vote is for Magnesium!

too bad the poll has such limited options.

Why are you guys NOT voting your preferences?


If you've already stated your postion on frame materias, please come back and vote.

Thank you

- Slim :)


don't wanna

]wood is good.

i'm old school, i don't trust any of these newfangled metallic materials for frame construction. they either rust into oblivion at the first drop of moisture or catastrophically fail at the slightest of impacts.

Wood: hundreds of thousands of years of development
Steel: barely a thousand years, which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?

Steely Dan, You're just too much fun!

- Slim :)

PS.

Whenever I see you passing by on your magnesium-framed bicycle, I'll be certain to celebrate your arrival by lighting a multitude of fireworks all around your frame! :roflmao2:

One of each please.

don't wanna

You are so loved! :love:

One of each please.

Alright then,

Coming right up!

I voted for aluminum because it's my favorite frame material, but I commute on the bikes I own that are lowest on the totem pole: a steel (Reynolds 853) bike that I've left outside all day, every day, for years in DC (no significant rust so far) and a heavy aluminum road bike from Toys 'r' Us that happens to fit me perfectly that I use for my commute to and from the train station in Baltimore.

I've got one of each.... except bamboo. Favorite is my Ti bike, but I like them all.

If all I'm doing is going from point A to Point B........One of each?

I like my Alu framed hybrid, but my old Steel MTB had a much better ride. It was just more...cushy. Damn shame it was too small for me, as I'd still be riding it.

The 32 mm tires I use on my aluminm commuter completely negate any supposed ride quality advantages of any of the other materials and I really appreciate the little bit of weight advantage when I ride up the steep hills to my home and carry it up the stairs.

I've ridden aluminum bikes and steel bikes, and now I only own steel bikes. I live in Florida on the Gulf Coast, and none of my bikes have any rust. Titanium would be nice, too.

Answers are going to depend vastly based on weather & distance.

I wouldn't want to ride an aluminium frame for a 20 mile commute; I wouldn't want to ride a steel frame in weather where they're putting salt on the road.

I wouldn't spend the money for carbon for a commuter.

Other people are going to answer those questions differently. Maybe they have a higher tolerance for aluminium than me; maybe they're more willing to meticulously wash their bike after every ride. Maybe their price sensitivity is lower than mine.

As the OP said - no wrong answers. But the answers you're likely to get are not meaningful without understanding why people choose what they do.

But the answers you're likely to get are not meaningful without understanding why people choose what they do.

answers are also meaningless without knowing how much experience people have commuting with frames of the 5 major materials given in the poll. i would imagine that a relatively small percentage of forumers on this forum have ever done any extensive commuting on titanium or bamboo bikes.

also, there's the unmentioned, uncomfortable truth that goes along with all of these types of frame material debates: not all frames of any given material are of the same quality. would all of the people voting "steel" in this poll really maintain their stance if the choice was between a old steel gas pipe beast vs. a high end 7005 aluminum cyclocross stallion? maybe some of the die-hards would, but i suspect that the loyalty to steel is not ubiquitous across the board. a bicycle's quality is defined by so much more than just the grossly oversimplified steel vs. aluminum vs. carbon vs. "other".

I want to change my answer to carbon. Just because.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/CalOso/Spring08042.jpg

I picked aluminum... For a commuter I want something that will do in all weather as well as something that I can lockup outside and not have to worry about it getting stolen. My steel winter bike has seized bottom bracket cups now and i am afraid it is likely rusting very bad inside the tubes so it isn't ideal for snow - but of course, I got it on the curb on garbage day so I shouldn't hope for too much.

Steel for me.
I think it looks nicer, which is shallow - yes - but it's a bike I'm riding every day and I've never fallen in love with an aluminum bike (I don't dare to test ride carbon or ti, falling is love with something I can't afford is too cruel).

Weight doesn't concern me, and I keep my bikes inside so rust isn't something I'm paranoid about.

answers are also meaningless without knowing how much experience people have commuting with frames of the 5 major materials given in the poll. i would imagine that a relatively small percentage of forumers on this forum have ever done any extensive commuting on titanium or bamboo bikes.

also, there's the unmentioned, uncomfortable truth that goes along with all of these types of frame material debates: not all frames of any given material are of the same quality. would all of the people voting "steel" in this poll really maintain their stance if the choice was between a old steel gas pipe beast vs. a high end 7005 aluminum cyclocross stallion? maybe some of the die-hards would, but i suspect that the loyalty to steel is not ubiquitous across the board. a bicycle's quality is defined by so much more than just the grossly oversimplified steel vs. aluminum vs. carbon vs. "other".

Hey Dan!

The poll is quite simple, Dan. It only, requires that you state your current favored material. It might be what you're riding. Just simply state what it is that you would possibly like, or prefer. If it's chromoly but you currently ride gas pipe material, simply state that. They're both steel. Steel is steel! No need to over-rationalize.....

- Slim :)

^ i'm well aware that the poll is (overly) simple. my point is that's it's not terribly revealing or insightful. but it doesn't have to be, it can be just for fun, that's totally fine. i was merely building off what richard posted.

[QUOTE=caloso;13360769]I want to change my answer to carbon. Just because.

Sorry Caloso, your second vote for carbon has been rejected due to a hanging chad.

Afraid were going to have stick with your original vote for aluminum.

- Slim :) aka Premier voting official

I would normally say steel... but my jamis coda frame is hanging in my office so I can use the parts on an bamboo frame..... :)

I've usually used a heavy steel bike, straight gauge tubing...mostly because of the lock up thing. We use those heavy $100+ chains here; If you ever watch people locking up in crowded areas, you'll note that one guy will carefully pass his chain with the cloth sleeve through his spokes, being gentle with his paint job as he tenderly locks his baby to a sign...then, ten minutes after he's gone into the office, some other yutz comes along, and in the process of locking up to the opposite side of the same sign, throws his bike against the first one, and carelessly bangs his chain against both frames as he locks up. That would explain some of those mystery scratches...

I've seen people lean on parked bikes to make a cell phone call, etc. I am sure an AL or titanium bike would be more rust proof but I like knowing my frame tubes can take a little knock and not crumble.

I would normally say steel... but my jamis coda frame is hanging in my office so I can use the parts on an bamboo frame..... :)

Sir, if your Jamis Coda is hanging anywhere, I'm most certain that it's with a certain kinda chilled swag...

That's just how they roll!

- Slim :)

I've always been a C&V fan, so lugged steel will always hold a special place in my heart. But I ride aluminium because its lighter (in the frames I can afford) and doesn't rust. Like someone said, 32 tires and a carbon fork make the ride feel the same to me as my steel bike but with significant weight savings.

I voted for steel only cos my first serious bike ever is a steel bike. It's better than any other bike I've ever had, but that's probably due to superior components and a good fit.

I voted for steel only cos my first serious bike ever is a steel bike. It's better than any other bike I've ever had, but that's probably due to superior components and a good fit.

I believe you are correct. Good fit and the right components for the job are far more important.

I've owned steel and aluminum. I cannot speak of longevity on either. The steel bikes were in south Georgia. Rust ate them. I ride aluminum now but that is by happenstance. I haven't had it long enough to know its durability. What I can tell you from intensive experience in other fields is that I'd rather get my workouts by overcoming terrain rather than overcoming my equipment. In backpacking I spend a lot of extra money making sure I have top quality equipment that weighs as little as possible. I expect I will do the same with bikes as my experience builds. If this is so, I will end up with a carbon or a ti bike for commuting.Why do everything in your power to be fit and trim then decide to push an extra 20 pounds of bicycle around every day instead of using that energy to cover more real estate?! My current bike doesn't even have a luggage rack because I have a system where I only re-supply at work one day a week so I do that with a backpack instead of lugging add-ons around the rest of the week.
I love my brisk commutes.

BTW, I'm not rich but if I crack this $1200 aluminum bike then I will just replace it with something that won't bust and chalk it up to experience. That being said, I'm going to beat this aluminum Giant Defy to a pulp to see if it will take it. So far so good. If it takes it and I get the the body weight I want, I'll try the same experiment with a carbon bake just because I can and want to know.

BTW, I'm not rich but if I crack this $1200 aluminum bike then I will just replace it with something that won't bust and chalk it up to experience. That being said, I'm going to beat this aluminum Giant Defy to a pulp to see if it will take it. So far so good. If it takes it and I get the the body weight I want, I'll try the same experiment with a carbon bake just because I can and want to know.

I love both your spirit and enthusiasm, Igo!

- Slim :)

It's the only time I prefer aluminum. It resists all the crap thrown on Michigan streets.

Marc

If they could make a stiff enough frame out of sausage, I would buy it. But since that's not a choice in the poll, I'll have to go with aluminum for its low cost, durability and no rust.

Titanium.

Doesn't rust, needs no paint to leave behind on the parking rack, scratches buff out with a Scotch Brite pad.

Heavenly ride too.

indeed. i voted for aluminum in the poll just to agitate slimrider ( ;) ), but titanium really is a sublime material for an everyday lightweight but strong bike. the only negative to titanium is cost. it's a pity it's so expensive, precluding it from becoming the material of choice for bike frames for the masses.

1. Steel - hands down no question.

2. Titanium - amazing but too expensive for most