If all I'm doing is going from point A to Point B........One of each?

I like my Alu framed hybrid, but my old Steel MTB had a much better ride. It was just more...cushy. Damn shame it was too small for me, as I'd still be riding it.

The 32 mm tires I use on my aluminm commuter completely negate any supposed ride quality advantages of any of the other materials and I really appreciate the little bit of weight advantage when I ride up the steep hills to my home and carry it up the stairs.

I've ridden aluminum bikes and steel bikes, and now I only own steel bikes. I live in Florida on the Gulf Coast, and none of my bikes have any rust. Titanium would be nice, too.

Answers are going to depend vastly based on weather & distance.

I wouldn't want to ride an aluminium frame for a 20 mile commute; I wouldn't want to ride a steel frame in weather where they're putting salt on the road.

I wouldn't spend the money for carbon for a commuter.

Other people are going to answer those questions differently. Maybe they have a higher tolerance for aluminium than me; maybe they're more willing to meticulously wash their bike after every ride. Maybe their price sensitivity is lower than mine.

As the OP said - no wrong answers. But the answers you're likely to get are not meaningful without understanding why people choose what they do.

answers are also meaningless without knowing how much experience people have commuting with frames of the 5 major materials given in the poll. i would imagine that a relatively small percentage of forumers on this forum have ever done any extensive commuting on titanium or bamboo bikes.

also, there's the unmentioned, uncomfortable truth that goes along with all of these types of frame material debates: not all frames of any given material are of the same quality. would all of the people voting "steel" in this poll really maintain their stance if the choice was between a old steel gas pipe beast vs. a high end 7005 aluminum cyclocross stallion? maybe some of the die-hards would, but i suspect that the loyalty to steel is not ubiquitous across the board. a bicycle's quality is defined by so much more than just the grossly oversimplified steel vs. aluminum vs. carbon vs. "other".

I want to change my answer to carbon. Just because.

I picked aluminum... For a commuter I want something that will do in all weather as well as something that I can lockup outside and not have to worry about it getting stolen. My steel winter bike has seized bottom bracket cups now and i am afraid it is likely rusting very bad inside the tubes so it isn't ideal for snow - but of course, I got it on the curb on garbage day so I shouldn't hope for too much.

Steel for me.
I think it looks nicer, which is shallow - yes - but it's a bike I'm riding every day and I've never fallen in love with an aluminum bike (I don't dare to test ride carbon or ti, falling is love with something I can't afford is too cruel).

Weight doesn't concern me, and I keep my bikes inside so rust isn't something I'm paranoid about.

Hey Dan!

The poll is quite simple, Dan. It only, requires that you state your current favored material. It might be what you're riding. Just simply state what it is that you would possibly like, or prefer. If it's chromoly but you currently ride gas pipe material, simply state that. They're both steel. Steel is steel! No need to over-rationalize.....

- Slim

^ i'm well aware that the poll is (overly) simple. my point is that's it's not terribly revealing or insightful. but it doesn't have to be, it can be just for fun, that's totally fine. i was merely building off what richard posted.

[QUOTE=caloso;13360769]I want to change my answer to carbon. Just because.

Sorry Caloso, your second vote for carbon has been rejected due to a hanging chad.

Afraid were going to have stick with your original vote for aluminum.

- Slim aka Premier voting official

I would normally say steel... but my jamis coda frame is hanging in my office so I can use the parts on an bamboo frame.....

I've usually used a heavy steel bike, straight gauge tubing...mostly because of the lock up thing. We use those heavy $100+ chains here; If you ever watch people locking up in crowded areas, you'll note that one guy will carefully pass his chain with the cloth sleeve through his spokes, being gentle with his paint job as he tenderly locks his baby to a sign...then, ten minutes after he's gone into the office, some other yutz comes along, and in the process of locking up to the opposite side of the same sign, throws his bike against the first one, and carelessly bangs his chain against both frames as he locks up. That would explain some of those mystery scratches...

I've seen people lean on parked bikes to make a cell phone call, etc. I am sure an AL or titanium bike would be more rust proof but I like knowing my frame tubes can take a little knock and not crumble.

Sir, if your Jamis Coda is hanging anywhere, I'm most certain that it's with a certain kinda chilled swag...

That's just how they roll!

- Slim

I've always been a C&V fan, so lugged steel will always hold a special place in my heart. But I ride aluminium because its lighter (in the frames I can afford) and doesn't rust. Like someone said, 32 tires and a carbon fork make the ride feel the same to me as my steel bike but with significant weight savings.

I voted for steel only cos my first serious bike ever is a steel bike. It's better than any other bike I've ever had, but that's probably due to superior components and a good fit.

I believe you are correct. Good fit and the right components for the job are far more important.

I've owned steel and aluminum. I cannot speak of longevity on either. The steel bikes were in south Georgia. Rust ate them. I ride aluminum now but that is by happenstance. I haven't had it long enough to know its durability. What I can tell you from intensive experience in other fields is that I'd rather get my workouts by overcoming terrain rather than overcoming my equipment. In backpacking I spend a lot of extra money making sure I have top quality equipment that weighs as little as possible. I expect I will do the same with bikes as my experience builds. If this is so, I will end up with a carbon or a ti bike for commuting.Why do everything in your power to be fit and trim then decide to push an extra 20 pounds of bicycle around every day instead of using that energy to cover more real estate?! My current bike doesn't even have a luggage rack because I have a system where I only re-supply at work one day a week so I do that with a backpack instead of lugging add-ons around the rest of the week.
I love my brisk commutes.

BTW, I'm not rich but if I crack this $1200 aluminum bike then I will just replace it with something that won't bust and chalk it up to experience. That being said, I'm going to beat this aluminum Giant Defy to a pulp to see if it will take it. So far so good. If it takes it and I get the the body weight I want, I'll try the same experiment with a carbon bake just because I can and want to know.

I love both your spirit and enthusiasm, Igo!

- Slim

It's the only time I prefer aluminum. It resists all the crap thrown on Michigan streets.

Marc

If they could make a stiff enough frame out of sausage, I would buy it. But since that's not a choice in the poll, I'll have to go with aluminum for its low cost, durability and no rust.

indeed. i voted for aluminum in the poll just to agitate slimrider ( ), but titanium really is a sublime material for an everyday lightweight but strong bike. the only negative to titanium is cost. it's a pity it's so expensive, precluding it from becoming the material of choice for bike frames for the masses.

1. Steel - hands down no question.

2. Titanium - amazing but too expensive for most