Originally Posted by Brett 12
Steel: Longevity
Aluminum: Stiffness and Power transfer
Carbon Fiber: Light weight
Titanium:? (steel alloys these days just/almost as good as Titaniumm , carbon fiber is lighter, aluminum is stiffer)
EDIT: I'm playing Devil's Advocate Here. Just wondering if Titanium is worth it if I should happen upon a good deal on a Ti frame (ebay/Craigslist)
If steel was almost as good, the USSR would not have spent the Xtra $Billions to use it on their subs. They could go far deeper than ours. It's due in large part to the demise of the USSR that we can afford Titanium as the Russians now export it.
A good Ti frame costs about the same as good steel one. I've had good steel, now I have a good Ti. I like them both. If nothing else, the Ti doesn't rust, corrode, or tarnish. It's my favorite material for frames.
By the way, stiffness on the more expensive frames is more determined today by the shape and internal characteristics (thickness/taper) of the tubes than the material. A frame can be stiff to pedal and flexible for the ride; up to a point. Even my (lower?) mid-priced Airborne Carpe Diem frame uses "shaped tubes"
Al