northlong

Being new to biking, I am confused regarding the materials use to make bike frames and forks. What are the pros and cons of Chromoly, Alum and Carbon. For a recreation rider (city streets, bike paths, some dirt trails) what is best for my type of hybrid bike riding. Did manufactures go to alum and carbon due to cost?

AlphaDogg

Manufacturers moved to aluminum and carbon due to new advances in technology and weight savings. Carbon is MUCH more expensive than steel.

Dahon.Steve

It was certainly cost when it came to choosing Alu over steel. The steel lugged bikes of the 1970s could not be made cheaply today and are much more labor intensive.

SlimRider

It is more expensive to extract raw aluminum from its ore, bauxite, than it is to extract iron from its ores.

However, once mined, extracted, and processed, aluminum becomes 100% recyclable, and has a much lower melting point than iron. Therefore, energetically speaking, it becomes much cheaper to recycle and process aluminum, than steel.

- Slim

PS.

There is an ever-increasing abundance of recycled aluminum always available for recycling and processing. Almost 70% of all aluminum ever produced, is still available.

(Research links below in signature space)

teicher

Please read this, it'll help.

https://sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

For your purposes, a hybrid bike that fits you and fits your budget is my recommendation. You should not concern yourself with the frame material, I would argue that's one of the last things to worry about. The most important items are to find a bike that you like, that fits you well, and that you can afford.

godeacs

Well said!......

Bill Kapaun

Keep in mind that some of the cheap X-mart bikes may be aluminum, but still outweigh their steel counterparts.

Bill Kapaun

Even though aluminum requires an electric furnace, it's much cheaper because everybody knows electricity comes from magic!

jsdavis

Even worse: some cheap xmart bikes are hi-tensile steel made to look like aluminum by using big tubes.

SlimRider

No, Bill. Electricity doesn't come from magic. It arises out of the potential energy that exists amongst moving charged particles. It requires more of that energy to melt steel, than it does aluminum, due to the lower melting point of aluminum. That's why it's cheaper to recycle aluminum, than steel.

- Slim

SlimRider

True, they do resemble aluminum framed bicycles. However, that hi-tensile steel is still, steel! As such, it remains a very strong bicycle frame material. If kept dry, it too will last for decades.

jsdavis

But they are making teh bike significantly heavier for no reason other than to make it look like something it isn't.

SlimRider

Hi-tensile steel is not as strong as chromoly steel. Therefore, it requires some extra girth for the purpose of reinforcement. The reason for its appearance is primarily for structural integrity, not cosmetics, camouflage, or misrepresentation.

- Slim

PS.

Just compare old hi-tensile steel bicycle frames with the newer chromoly steel frames and you'll readily see my point.

LesterOfPuppets

Don't even have to stoop to dep't store level to find that. My steel Mongoose is about 3 lbs lighter than my aluminum Trek, of course the 'goose cost about $250 more MSRP.

LesterOfPuppets

By 1994 or so I'm guessing big bike manu's had aluminum frame building down pat and it was cheaper to produce a frame from Al than steel. Seems like consumer prices for aluminum frames didn't really start to reflect that 'til 1998 or so, IIRC. Al is easier to cut and drill so wears out tools at a slower rate.

I'm not close enough to bike manufacturing to guess whether mid range carbon frames are as cheap to build as midrange aluminum frames yet, but it very well might be after all this time, you never know.

The more suspension your bike has the less frame material matters. Even down to tires, ie if you run 25mm tires @ 100 psi you'll "feel" the frame more than if you run 38mm tires @ 55 psi.

I'm a giant steel nut myself, maybe because that's what I cut my teeth on.

JonathanGennick 

Aluminum is widely used and I consider it a "default" choice. If you aren't making a conscious decision about frame material, aluminum is what you're likely to end up with because it is so prevalent.

Carbon-fiber is expensive. It is the way to go if you decide to become a weight-weenie.

Steel is trendy in some circles. It's a good choice if you like the look of thin, round tubes.

I have a couple of steel frames because I like their clean look. My lightest-weight bike is aluminum-framed. (I go aluminum on builds where weight matters). I have not yet been able to afford anything carbon-fiber.