Steel or aluminum bicycle frame?
#26
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#27
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I have three steel bikes on the road, and one aluminum. I am not interested in plastic, but I have nothing to dislike about them either. I started collecting with what I still have. All the frames have been built up and starting just as frames— all qualifying as vintage. The aluminum Vitus 979 is well-known to not have the "nervous" vibration transmitted throughout the frame that is said to be usual by owners of modern Al frames. Modern aluminum frames differ from earlier aluminum frames in a number of ways. Early aluminum frames such as the Vitus, Allen, Bridgestone used tubing gauges that were of similar diameter to Reynolds, Columbia, Tange, True Temper and so on steel alloy tubing. They were typically bonded together. A small number of the Vitus 979's's were pegged at the BB for stiffening. All in all, these early aluminium frames felt very similar to steel frames, except in my experience at least, the unpegged Vitus tends to flex. I'm merely a sports rider who does not enter vintage competition, so any flexing is of no concern unless it causes autoshifting. (And so what? ... get over it!) All my steel bikes are a great ride too, some being stiffer than others — after all, they were constructed as racers. The Vitus is a joy because it has the airy feeling of just being lighter, but smooth and silky on tubular tires.
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Vitus 979, Simplon 4 Star, Gazelle Champion Mondial, Woodrup Giro, Dawes Atlantis
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#28
Newbie
Road bikes with narrow tires i prefer steel, it give's more comfortable ride. Mtb's with wide tires aluminium, it makes bike little lighter.
#29
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Steel is heavier and can feel springy.
As for the original question...aluminum. It’s light, durable and strong enough for the job without excess weight. Of my current 8 bikes, 5 are aluminum. Three are titanium.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Last edited by cyccommute; 01-06-19 at 11:10 AM.
#30
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Bamboo. Or magnesium.
#32
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Steel for road bikes. Aluminum for mountain bikes.
#33
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My Masi is Al w/cf stays and fork and my Guru is steel w/cf fork. I really enjoy both of them.
#34
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you have touted your Tern in another Folding bike thread Why Ask , doubt your choice?
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Last edited by fietsbob; 01-07-19 at 11:45 AM.
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Titanium is the correct answer.
#37
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Sodium, but don't let it get wet.
#38
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I mostly prefer to ride my steel bikes simply because it's more nostalgic. Kind of cool to ride one, in a way. I have an aluminum dept store Nishiki that I tore down and rebuilt with a carbon fork, bars, and seat post. And paired with similar tires, the aluminum bike almost feels a smooth as my steel bikes. I've taken the Nishiki on 200k brevet rides and I felt fine afterwards, despite the frame being aluminum. And on similar long rides, the steel bikes do make me feel like I have to work harder to finish
#39
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Back in the day (1970's) it was Reynolds steel for me (Raleigh mostly, but the odd Peugeot now and then). Then CroMo. Then I started to switch to MTB and it became aluminum because climbing is a real drag with any more weight than necessary ...
Now, my favorite bike is an Aluminum frame with Carbon Fiber swing arm, and a bunch of magnesium in the air forks
My wife's latest MTB is an Aluminum frame hard-tail with Mg in the forks too
But, I still have one CroMo hybrid, and so does my wife
Now, my favorite bike is an Aluminum frame with Carbon Fiber swing arm, and a bunch of magnesium in the air forks
My wife's latest MTB is an Aluminum frame hard-tail with Mg in the forks too
But, I still have one CroMo hybrid, and so does my wife
#40
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I have all 4 versions
Full steel
Cromo
Aluminum and alu/carbonish fork
full carbon
If i could get a full carbon under 1000 id ride that as a daily driver but still worry about it being stolen.
so i usualy ride the cheaper aluminum versions beycase i can affird to loose 350 rather than 800.
I have a nice build plan for a 600 dollar everydays full carbon tt frame bike that should be alot of fun .
Full steel
Cromo
Aluminum and alu/carbonish fork
full carbon
If i could get a full carbon under 1000 id ride that as a daily driver but still worry about it being stolen.
so i usualy ride the cheaper aluminum versions beycase i can affird to loose 350 rather than 800.
I have a nice build plan for a 600 dollar everydays full carbon tt frame bike that should be alot of fun .
#41
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The thing about stealing is usually taken care of by rattle can camouflage. Paint it like it's been "tagged" and it will likely be left alone
But how many of us can do that?
I bling out my bikes as part of the hobby.
So that makes them even more of an attraction ...
But how many of us can do that?
I bling out my bikes as part of the hobby.
So that makes them even more of an attraction ...
#42
Cycleway town
I think personalisation is good, regardless of the style. Nobody was ever gonna steal my GT LTS-3 despite it being a very attractive bike and very clean, simply because it was blatantly the only one on the planet that looked the way it did. And theives just wanna pass a bike straight on.
Whether they are or not, a desirable bike to a thief looks common and standard. They want an easy 50 in their pocket. Steel, carbon, it'll probably go for the same price.
It reminds me of the un-stealable Mercedes - a rather wealthy arabic guy got Mercedes to build him an estate version of their new S-class Coupe in the early 1990s. The only 3-dr S-class on the planet. Somewhat of a hot potato on the black market.
Whether they are or not, a desirable bike to a thief looks common and standard. They want an easy 50 in their pocket. Steel, carbon, it'll probably go for the same price.
It reminds me of the un-stealable Mercedes - a rather wealthy arabic guy got Mercedes to build him an estate version of their new S-class Coupe in the early 1990s. The only 3-dr S-class on the planet. Somewhat of a hot potato on the black market.
#43
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Gotta say, the size of the tire matters a lot more than the frame material when it comes to the feeling of the ride.
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#48
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Yeah, the OP left out Titanium. Had it been in the running originally, it would be my vote too
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Moots YBB - Yeah, baby ...
#49
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!