Just picked up my first aluminum framed bike after having and ridden lots of steel. Couldn't resist the price on the late 80's Trek 1000 and curiosity just got the best of me. Being of Clydesdale weight it was the robust build and steel fork that put me over the edge. Nice bike for my commute which is only 10-20 miles round trip with crisp handling but not super light compared to decent steel. I've warmed up to it after a week and enjoy the ride, but a good butted steel frame has a quality that I prefer even on a tough climb where the aluminum just feels kind of dead in comparison.