Pub

I am getting very bogged down trying to understand the manufacturers descriptions (or lack of them) when they mentioned the frame material.

I read that especially for a clyde, you really should have double butted frames as the minimum. But on a lot of descriptions they don’t mention this.
For instance, a lot of posters say that a Trek 7.2 fx is a good off the shelf clyde ride. But the Trek site does not mention that the frame is double butted.

So my question is how do you know the frame is strong enough without that description that it is double or even triple butted?

I have been looking at a bike called the Frome. Not sure if its familiar with you guys but it looks up to the mark. Here is the link.
https://www.formebikes.co.uk/products/
Under the Urban link it says the frame is MTB inspired and its 6061. But nothing mentions butted.

Am I looking at this all wrong and whether it says butted or not I should be going on the frame material as a description that its suitable?

Very confused.....

late

You want a good frame, it can be made out of anything, including wood or bamboo. (google Calfee bamboo)

Wheels can be a problem for big guys. But you can make good wheels part of the sale when you buy a bike if you need to.


But let's start at the beginning. How tall are you, and how much do you weigh? (in pounds, not stones)

What sort of riding do you intend to do? Mtn bike riding, commuting, etc. Sounds like you want an entry level
bike to ride around the neighborhood.

What's the budget?

You have a lot of options, here's one of them..
https://www.dawescycles.com/p-407-galaxy.aspx

CraigB

Butting (including double and triple) was a practice initiated during the days when steel frames were about the only things around, as a means to lighten steel tubing without sacrificing strength. So don't think of it as something that makes a material stronger - it's more an indication that for a given minimum strength standard, a tube is a little lighter. All butting means is that when the tubes are drawn, they make the ends thicker than the mid-points, since most of the stress occurs at the points where the tubes converge. BTW, you can't see that change in wall thickness, as it's the interior diameter that changes, not the exterior. I know basic round-tubed aluminum frames can feature butted tubes as well, but when you get into more expensive hydro-formed aluminum frames with odd-shaped cross-sections, I'm not sure if they even do that still. They might, I just don't know - I really haven't paid that much attention to frame details since we reached that point in the evolution of the bike frame.

I'd only be concerned about butting if my budget was extremely modest - modest to the point where some of the bikes I'm considering might even be made from pipe instead of tubing, and I don't know if they even make cheap bikes that way any more.

CliftonGK1

Steel's too heavy and it rusts.
Aluminum is overly stiff and will rattle your eyes out of the sockets.
Carbon will explode like a grenade if you run over a pebble.

OK, I think I've covered all the arguments.

Late's got it right with saying that the wheels are usually more of a concern, and frame material is largely dependent on 2 things: Budget and riding style.

Homeyba

You forgot
Magnesium spontaneously catches fire and you can't put it out,
Beryllium will give you radiation poisoning,
Bamboo is susceptible to forest fires...

10 Wheels

I ride two aluminum bikes and now I have Alzheimer's from them.

bradtx

Pub, I reads like a little deprogramming is in order. The above responses are correct WRT butting, bottom line is that it doesn't add strength over non butted frame tubes. Frome isn't a common brand in the US, but many have heard of them and they seem to make a good bike. 6061 T6 aluminum has been used for frame tubing for decades both butted and unbutted and is quite satisfactory for heavy riders. The Al Fresco looks like a nice bike. With extra heavy riders, wheels, primarily the rear wheel tend to go out of true, have the bike shop re stress and true up the wheel if need be.

What is your weight and where to you intend to ride?

Brad

zoste

And when titanium frags it can only be welded by an engineer with a PhD in metallurgy

MichaelW

Trek have 3 different grades of tube which they designate white, black and red.
White is plain unbutted.
Black is butted and hydroformed.
Red is a higher grade of metal, butted, hydroformed into more complex profiles.
The Trek 7.2 fx uses Black, it is a decent quality frame.

Shimagnolo

Wood frames -> termites.

wvridgerider

Steel is real, my Surly CrossCheck rides as well as my Trek carbon fiber pilot. Surly makes a nice frame at reasonable prices.

exile

There is no right or wrong for frame material. Each has their advantages and disadvantages; but even that's debatable. Clydes mostly worry about wheelsets.

CliftonGK1

That's right! I completely forgot titanium. Super-flexible; like riding a bike made of al dente spaghetti.

Pub

Brilliant. Thanks for replies, that has certainly unfogged my head....lol.

I am at present using a borrowed bike before I make a purchase and doing home research into what makes up different bikes is a lot more technical than frame, wheels, handlebars etc, lol.

Mr. Beanz

Some clydes think aluminum is the best material for clydes. Hmm, my 6066 aluminum Lemond Tourmalet wasn't happy with me (230 lbs). Snapped on a climb after 13,000 miles on the bike. Some of the strength comes in the tube design and shape. The Lemond was smaller diameter tubing at the Bottom Bracket area compared to my Cannondale. Lemond was flexy and the Cannondale isn't. Lemond flexed itself out of life and the Cannondale is still going strong.

Keep in mind a small diameter tube at the bottom bracket area could be flexy, which is not good under a big rider.

Ouch!

Pinyon

What your frame is made out of is not as important as the frame geometry (as it relates to body position when you ride), and stiffness (Beanz is right, bigger riders flex frames more).

The type of frame geometry you like depends on how you like to ride. Some prefer the traditional race body position (me), others a more relaxed and upright position (relaxed road bikes up to hybrids), others prefer a bike that handles well when loaded down with groceries or camping equipment (touring bikes), etc.

Everything else is just preference.

I prefer very stiff aluminum road bikes (HUGE bottom bracket area), coupled with carbon forks, and 25-28c tires to suck-up some of the road chatter. Even with the same geometry, pure aluminum bikes with 23c tires and chromolly forks are too harsh for me, and I'm too rough on equipment to trust myself with carbon fiber (not on the bike...think...leaning it against a guard-rail during a ride, and it flipping over and down a 30+ foot embankment onto some rocks below).