Originally Posted by
Koyote
Most frames made of metal are welded together, so I don’t really understand the comment about that.
Otherwise, yes, there are different grades of aluminum and different quality levels within a manufacturer’s line. However, even a relatively cheap aluminum frame can be pretty good. I ride a commuter bike that retailed for about $550… Aluminum frame, single speed with relatively cheap components, etc. I'll bet that the manufacturer sourced the frame from China for about $35… And it is damn good. Light enough, stiff, rides beautifully.
One of my riding buddies is on a 25-year-old Trek with an aluminum frame... it’s been ridden hard and put away wet often. The kid is a very strong rider and really hammers the hell out of it. And it is still in great shape
There are a couple of companies claiming some new welding technologies, The Emonda ALR advertises "invisible weld technology" and one of them advertises "smart weld" but I don't know how either is better or different. The biggest advance in aluminum frames is hydro-forming the tubing and that process being more common now. I would definitely expect anything being manufactured now to be far more advanced that offerings from a decade ago at 2 to 3 times the price point. I doubt there was a production bike made 10-12 years ago that's as good as the Emonda ALR but that's not a statement I'm qualified to debate, so take it as just interweb opinion.