Originally Posted by geog_dash
Check out Sheldon Brown's essay:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html
Bottom line, you can make a dream ride or a brick out of anything.
Personally, I prefer steel for commuting. I think steel is more resilient. It is less likely to bend
permanently or crease and crack if the bike leans awkwardly on a bike rack, or bends the derailleur hanger in a fall. Aluminum frames usually come with admonitions not to attach anything to the frame except at the braz- ons and official mount points - i.e. no kick stands or extra battery packs. Aluminum won't rust, but it does corrode where it meets steel components, unless you are very careful to keep the interfaces greased.
That's a new one on me! I've seen all kinds of misinformation on aluminum but I've never seen one that claims the bikes are so fragile that they will bend and break in a bike rack! If they had to be treated that gently, why would you ever trust your life to one on the road?
Aluminum bikes are just as strong as a steel bike. Some of them are stiffer, some aren't. Some ride like trucks, some ride like Cadillacs. Sometimes the same bike will ride both ways. I have a Cannondale T800 that is the harshest ride I've ever had, including the Cannondale 2.8 frame from 1989 that was shorter than any bike I've ever owned, when it doesn't have a touring load on it. Load it with 60 lbs of gear and the bike is the most mellow bike I've ever ridden. And the bike is stong enough to carry that load over dirt roads and rough trails.
I've had 3 different Specialized Stumpjumpers, 2 hardtails and one fully. All of them are great rides but they all take what my 220 lbs of flying flab can dish out! (I like to occasionally jump them
)
And finally, I have a Salsa Las Cruces. The bike is wonderfully smooth and far less harsh then the touring bike. It takes potholes and rough roads in stride.
I wouldn't be afraid to put any of them in a bike rack...at least not from the standpoint of having them bent...stolen maybe...but not bent.