berkeley23

with apologies if the answer to this question seems obvious. I have been riding for a long time, but always second-hand bikes that i did not have much of a say as to what type i rode. i am looking to replace my VERY heavy steel frame hybrid with an aluminum, because a friend tells me that it will be much easier to get up hills, lighter to ride, etc. my bike is so heavy i find it hard to keep up with group rides, and actually backed out of a tour last summer because i did not want to slow everyone else down nor be riding by myself. when a friend and i trade bikes for his lighter-framed rock hopper, he can't keep up with me on my bike, when usually it is the other way around. so i am assuming that an aluminum frame will help me go faster/keep up. is this true, and what else should i be looking for in a lighter, faster bike? will i still be able to use an aluminum frame for touring? do i have to be careful with it? with my current bike, i don't hesitate to go down curbs, take a detour through grass, etc.

thanks for any insight & tips you have

HTupolev

If the aluminum-framed bike is lighter than the steel-framed bike, it should climb and accelerate better, although the weight shouldn't have much effect on how fast it rolls.

I say "if" because a bike being aluminum-framed is no guarantee of lightness. If you care about weight, check how heavy a bike actually is, don't just look at frame material. Frames are a minority of bicycle weight, and "steel versus aluminum" isn't a very precise check, because there are many steels and many aluminums, and various ways of constructing frames from them.

If you want to go fast on the road, posture is crucial. At high speeds, aerodynamics are a vast majority of the resistance a bicycle is fighting, and the rider produces the vast majority of aerodynamic drag. The single biggest reason that a top-end road bike is faster than a cheap hybrid doesn't have to do with it being high-end, it's the fact that it'll typically be fit so that the rider is low and aerodynamic, whereas cheap hybrids tend to hold the rider upright and non-aero.
You don't necessarily need to go crazy aggressive on the posture to get most of the benefits, though. Road touring bikes are usually significantly more upright than high-end racing bikes, but not horribly slow.

As far as the first "upgrade" to look into... tires. High-performance tires are a low cost of entry, and can make a tangible difference to a bike's liveliness and speed.

The other big thing to make sure of is that a bike has the gears you need. Spinning out your gearing on the high end is annoying, and bottoming out your gearing on a climb can destroy your performance.

BUT. Unless something about your bike is seriously messing you up, the really big thing is always what the rider is doing. Be strong, draft when appropriate, etc. There's no substitute for being a fast cyclist.

Yes.

dabac

For climbing, look at total weight, rider and bike.
And you'll notice that a few pounds saved on the bike isn't a big deal.
Lighter bikes are often more responsive, which makes them more fun to ride, which can prompt you to ride harder.
If you're consistently struggling to keep up, weight as such is unlikely to be the issue. Unfortunately for you, rider fitness is probably a big part of it. Followed perhaps by poor effort management. What's your cadence like? Are you using your gears right?
There are certainly bike factors, rolling resistance, ride position, suspension parts etc.
But unless your bike really isn't comparable to the other bikes, don't expect a huge improvement from another bike. A few percent perhaps.
Material alone doesn't say much about what a bike will be suitable for.
Functionality depends on a mix of material and design.
Only time I care about frame material alone is if I'm planning for events other than riding, like customization, fitting a child carrier, towing etc.

Maelochs

Interesting stuff.

This month I did a few rides on each of my bikes, pretty much. I have a 35-year-old steel Raleigh---not even a good steel Raleigh, the main triangle is CroMo but the fork and rear triangle are mild steel (Translation: heavy steel frame with heavy wheels) .... but I averaged a ridiculously high speed on two rides---high enough I had to take off my shoes to do the math---(way above my usual average.) Higher, in fact, than all but one of my rides on my pretty lightweight (maybe 17 lbs with racks and lights) CF bike. The CF weighs like a third less than the Raleigh (27 vs 17 approx.)

And I equaled most of my CF speeds on each of my two aluminum bikes, one which is a little lighter than the steel bike and the other which is heavier (it is a gravel/touring setup with discs.)

I also had three bog-slow days, two on my light Al bike, one on my heavy Al bike.

So ... it is the rider, not the bike.

The thing with Al nowadays is it is cheaper to buy a lighter bike made from Al. A light steel bike generally costs more because making it light takes more skill and engineering.

I'd say, if you want a new bike, get one. But the most important part of the bike--the rider--will be the same.

Also ... on a loaded tour, weight is not an issue. If you are carrying all your gear, the weight of the bike is meaningless. On a supported tour, everything is the same as any group ride ... the rider determines how the bike performs.

Think of this: two full bottles of water weigh, what, three pounds? Would you be able to keep up on those group rides if you didn't bring water? If you have a three-pound lighter bike ... will you not be able to keep up if you bring water? Lighter is a plus .... but a tiny plus.

I know nothing about your fitness, training regimen, your experience, your expectations ... but I know from experience a lighter bike is not a faster bike. It has the potential to be a faster bike, but realizing that potential is 100 percent on the rider.

JonathanGennick 

A lighter weight bike means less weight to haul up those hills, and you'll notice the difference. Lighter weight wheels give snappier acceleration. Aluminum is widely used in the world of bicycles. It's sort of a default material, whereas steel is more of a specialty material and often comes at a cost.

You say you're riding a hybrid now? Is that a flat-bar bike with upright seating? Are your friends who tour all on drop-bar bikes with a more aerodynamic position? I'm just thinking there might be other considerations at play here than aluminum versus steel.

brianmcg123

Unless your steel bike is filled with lead, I don't see how it's slowing you down that much. Sounds more like the difference between an older il tuned bike to a newer tuned up one.

That being said, getting a new bike is fun. Life is too short to ride crummy second hand bikes.

MRT2

What are you currently riding? FWIW, I prefer steel to aluminum, and while not super light, isn't all that heavy compared to the weight I already bring to the table.

indyfabz

Popped extra

1989Pre

The aluminum frame will make you faster. It will be a revelation. Stay away from disc brakes, which only add 2-3 pounds of unnecessary weight to the bike. Just take care of it the way you would your steel bike; don't crash it, and if you do, have it checked out. I go over curbs, too, with my aluminum mtb, and the thing that that could affect is the headset (it might go out of adjustment). The rims could also be knocked out of true.
Make sure your hubs are aluminum, and preferably have cartridge bearings: Those are the lightest hubs.
I plan on touring with my "streetified" MTB, so aluminum, as a material, is not a problem for touring as long as you keep the combined weight of rider and gear to under 250 lbs.
If you want to go fast and light, stay away from a triple crankset and get yourself some good rims.
One thing I don't understand is what kind of riding you plan on doing: I am hearing 1.) touring, 2.) fast club rides and 3.) aggressive urban riding (hopping curbs). You would have to be very judicious to select a bike that can do all of these adequately. (There is no way I would ever consider jumping a curb on my road bike).

jefnvk

What do you have now? Hard to judge the situation without knowing exactly what we are dealing with, as "VERY heavy steel frame" can encompass a very large number of bikes.

When is the last time the bike has been overhauled? Are bearings properly lubed and tensioned? Are you using appropriate tires? A bike that is out of tune may clean up into a nice rider.

Yes, and not more than any other bike. While I understand it can and occasionally does happen, frame breakage is far down my list of damage concerns to any decent bike.

I disagree with this. It is true to a very large extent, but is still overly simplistic and not the complete truth. Bikes CAN make a huge difference in how a rider performs. If the OP is swapping bikes with a friend and suddenly able to keep up when the guy on his bike is lagging back, I would argue that is a very clear sign that there IS something on his bike holding him back.

Of course, there is no guarantee that a new bike will make you better, but I don't believe in the paradigm that a person should be able to perform equally well on any bike. If that were true, Dicks Sporting Goods could field a team in the TdF on Nishiki bikes and kit.

Maelochs

In this case i have to agree somewhat. if he is riding a hybrid he is as un-aero as possible and that could be enough to hurt his performance.[/QUOTE]

ironwood

If you get an aluminum bike, you'll probably meet someone on a titaium bike; then someone will tell you about the wonders of carbon fiber or magnesium. Then one day you'll be passed by someone riding a bamboo bike.

Barabaika

You can tour on anything, but there are special touring bikes, their frames are often made of steel.

Let's look at this $300 Miyata 1000.
Miyata 1000 15 speed mens touring road bike vintage blue bicycle | eBay

It has front and rear racks for bags and panniers. It has cantilever brakes that allow installation of relatively big tires and fenders. It has a very small chain ring for hauling heavy load. The shifters are indestructible.
It has a steel frame, but the frame is pretty light.

DrIsotope

I haven't been at this for very long, but I did my first 20,000 miles on an aluminum frame, and just thought that was how bikes felt. Then I broke that frame and replaced it with a steel frame, and the comfort level is incomparable. I'm riding more miles per day, and faster, because I'm more comfortable in the saddle.

Find lighter steel. I'll not be going back to aluminum as a frame material.

Maelochs

Sorry you had a bad Al frame. I have a variety of frames made from a variety of materials. Steel is not as magical as one might claim ... unless one is comparing a bad Al frame to a decent steel frame.

Try it with a Good Al frame and a bad steel frame. or just ride--with an open mind--on a good Al frame.

DrIsotope

I wouldn't say my old frame was bad. It's just that the geometry on my steel frame is nearly identical, and it is significantly more comfortable over distance. So no, not that the old frame was bad, just that the new one is better. I have never ridden an AL frame that managed to feel as "alive" as steel, though.

Quator94

Thats the way i see it too E-Bikes bis 1000 Euro

https://www.ebiketester24.de/ncm-e-bike/

Lazyass

No it won't. For the sake of argument we'll go on the high side and assume the weight difference is 2lbs. And unless the steel frame is some low end gas pipe job, it won't be that much. That's about 2 water bottles. That will not make the average recreational cyclist, which is 95% of this forum, any faster. I'm a fairly strong A group type rider. I'm just as fast on my steel 23lb 1984 Univega Gran Rally as I am on my aluminum 16.5lb 2011 Focus Culebro. The only place I might notice a little difference is in the mountains, and I don't live in the mountains.

FordTrax

I 100% agree with the Dr I's post above.

I have ridden aluminum frames and steel on the same roads. I will not buy aluminum again -- to me it transmits much more road buzz and is just rougher/hasher than a steel frame. People will says it is the tires and the pressure and I agree that is part - but my Cannondale CX aluminum frame is on 35mm tires my steel touring bikes are on 32mm tires. So it is not all tires - frame material plays a part. My Cannondale is a quality frame.

Lighter will climb better but how much lighter is an aluminum frame than a good quality steel frame. 1-2 lbs.

To me - I will gladly take the extra pound or so for the ride.

To each his own. But I don't think a pound or two less would make me a significantly better climber - but I am a recreational cyclist not a 20+ mph guy either. I think frame geometry/stiffness plays a part as well.

No offense meant to anyone in this post. Just my opinion based on my experience.

wphamilton

will i still be able to use an aluminum frame for touring?

I don't tour so take this with a grain of salt but if I DID tour, the bike's frame material or even the bike itself would be one of my lesser concerns. Within reason. I'd pay a lot more attention, and $, to the equipment I was bringing and how to pack it. And planning - I'd rather spend a grand, or two grand, along the way as opposed to the bike.

Yet if you get beyond the entry level, on most brands of bikes, the ride qualities are more dependent on engineering than on the frame material. So sure, with the right bike you can hop off curbs and detour through the grass, or enjoy a smooth ride on the pavement, aluminum or otherwise.

rachel120

Since the OP said he's been getting second-hand bikes, there's no guarantee it's one of those super lightweight steel frames. There could be a far bigger weight difference than 2 pounds. The weight of the steel frame on my very inexpensive bike is nearly double your Univega Gran Rally and nearly triple your Focus Culebro. The OP may be in my shoes when it comes to bike weight.

12strings

Mmmmm...a few items here:
1. A new aluminum bike won't make you faster than a new comparable steel bike. If you've been riding a 35 lb upright hybrid maybe, but that's more a change in bike type, not frame material.
2. Disc brakes on road bikes are fine, if you want to pay for them. They won't hurt your performance much at all, and may let you out wider (more comfort) tires in.
3. I ride a steel frame road bike with a triple crank set, and keep up fine on fast groups and climbs with 15lb carbon bikes, and I bunny hop with it.
4. Modern adventure bikes (carbon, aluminum, and steel) are capable of loaded touring, fast group rides, and a good amount of aggressive off-road riding. (Of course, so are many 30yr old road bikes, back when they had a bit more tire clearance.)

jefnvk

OTOH, there are plenty of resources out there to know what to look for. I'd snag that Miyata 1000, sexy bike!

The just over 21lb steel bike I picked up off CL for $75 last week comes in a bit more than 3# lighter than my fiancee's AL/CF fork road bike, and bested her AL hybrid by quite a bit. It took all of a minute to google, and two seconds to pick up, to know it was a featherweight bike.

1989Pre

1a) Since the O.P. is in the market for an aluminum bike, it is reasonably safe to assume that he is not interested in one with a filet-brazed, 853 frame. A steel frame of comparable weight to aluminum will cost 3-4 times as much.

2a) Disc brakes are heavy and sometimes difficult to understand, keep maintained and work on. I think O.P. is looking for a light bike, here. Relatively wide tires are heavy, too.

3a) A triple crank weighs more than a double. O.P. appears to be focusing on keeping the weight down.

4a) Yes, there are specific bikes (cyclocross) that can satisfy the requirements of all three types of riding. That is why I recommended care in selection.

1989Pre

I understand what you are saying.., but when I ride long, I am willing to give up the ride of the steel bike for the lightness of the aluminum. In the last 10 miles of a hilly 60-miler, this counts. Gel tape and gel gloves can assuage a lot of the harshness you might feel (I don't).
The main (only?) difference I see between steel and aluminum is that steel has a ride with "character" and "personality". Aluminum doesn't.
That being said, my C&V steel bike (with lots of steel components) weighs 26 pounds. My road bike weighs 20.
I know that there are lots of 20 pound steel-framed road bikes, both new and vintage, so if O.P. has the money for one of these, it might be worth considering.