Originally Posted by
baj32161
Ummmm....any qualifications to back this up? or is this just another blanket opinion tossed out to make you sound knowledgeable? If you are going to throw statements like this out to a newbie, perhaps, since you are being so "helpful", you just may want to inform him as to why aluminum sucks, especially when there are millions of satisfied cyclists riding aluminum frames...do they all know nothing?
Qualifications: Former bike shop manager. Rider of aluminum bikes.
Here's what's generally good about aluminum frames: They tend to transfer energy efficiently and don't weigh very much. Finally, they are cheap to produce and therefore inexpensive.
Here's what's bad about aluminum frames: Despite efforts to introduce compliance, they still tend to transmit high frequency road chatter which fatigues the rider. They are not very durable over the long run.
Do millions of satisfied cyclists all know nothing? ---- Yes.
On what basis do make such a judgment? ---- I happily sold them their aluminum bikes. Since the mid 90s there hasn't been much else to show customers. Furthermore, it is counter-productive to try to sell against the consumer demand that has been manufactured by marketing hype.
Have you ever ridden a quality, American-made frame like a high-end Cannondale? ---- Yes. In fact I owned an R1000. It eventually cracked. The bike was great on perfectly smooth roads, and great for climbing, but otherwise hellish due to the harsh ride.
Have you ridden Cannondale's latest CAAD9, the one with the hourglass stays? ---- Yes, I own one now, after fighting tooth and nail to get Cannondale to honor the lifetime warranty on my R1000 (when you're not selling their equipment they want nothing to do with you apparently). The hourglass seat stays help absorb some of the cracks in the road but they can't seem to do anything about the high frequency vibration. Also the tubing on this bike is ridiculously thin.
Are there any aluminum bikes that you think are worthwhile? ---- Yes, but they're not road bikes. I own an aluminum mountain bike that I think the world of. Suspension mitigates the deficiencies of aluminum and I've accepted the fact that I am riding a disposable frame which I will probably have to replace some day.
Who should buy an aluminum road bike? ---- Someone who wants to get into the sport on a budget (although you will find yourself spending a lot of cash adding various carbon doo-dads in an effort to smooth out the ride). Someone who either lives in a suburb with lots of perfectly smooth roads and trails or doesn't ride more than 20 miles at a time, and therefore won't suffer from the effects of high frequency vibration. A bike shop manager whose sales figures are boosted by showing up to group rides on an aluminum bike.