Originally Posted by cyccommute

I agree that aluminum bikes…well, one aluminum bike…makes a better touring bike than steel but the reason is because of the way the bike is constructed. Aluminum, as a material, isn’t “stiff”. The way it is used makes it stiff. When it’s used in a touring bike, the stiffness is just enough to make the bike both less prone to frame warping under load and provide a damped ride against vibration. Steel bikes could be make equally stiff by using over sized tubing but the ride wouldn’t be damped. Without a load, an oversized tubed steel frame would be a painful ride.