Hi, newbie here, be gentle.

I've spent the last few hours reading about a zillion threads here on how steel frames are superior in durability and comfort to modern alu frames. I don't want to raise those old debates again. But my specific questions are:

• Do aluminium frames really have a limited lifespan under normal touring/commuter use? (I must have a frame that lasts for the rest of my life, with peak oil and retirement coming on).
• Could the "asshammer" rigidity of an alu frame be mitigated by some sort of shock absorbing system? If so, why aren't they standard?

Some background: I'm nearly 50, haven't been on a bike for many years, but used to cycle a LOT 30 years ago in South Africa on a Peugeot with Reynolds 531 tubing, also a very pricey Eddie Merckx. Steel frames, loved 'em. Nowadays it is almost impossible to get them where I am, in Australia (Perth), unless you are willing to spend absurd amounts of money (this excludes the super cheap and heavy Hi Tensile steel junk frames). Seems that aluminium frames are cheaper to manufacture, so that's where the makers have gone. I'm looking to buy a hybrid/touring bike for long commutes. MUST be very durable and comfortable.

https://danonthe.net/surlypacer.html

This guy lives in South Australia and he rides a Surly Pacer (about as indestructible as a road frame can get). This steel frameset sells for about $400 in the US. Check out the reviews on roadbikereview.com

I have always been interested in the facts of alum fatigue in bike parts . . . I suspect most of this is overstated.
to the OP - there is no frame that will 100% last the rest of your life and such a demand is unrealistic. A crash or heavy abuse can bring any frame to its end. I think steel gives you a great shot at having a frame that lasts that long, but luck is going to be required as well.

Thanks, yes, that is the option I meant when I said very expensive. It's north of $1500 here assembled, AFAIK. I need a decent quality, very durable bike outside the $100-$150 Walmart/Big W junk range, but well under the multi-thousand dollar range. It seems absurd that I could buy a really nice steel framed bike with Campagnolo equipment for a few hundred dollars in 1980, but can't get something reasonably priced now, even taking inflation into account.

To quote from another thread: "As stated by folks like Lennard Zinn, 'Bicycling' magazine, RoadBikeRider, etc., aluminum fatigues and they recommend that these frames have a definite lifetime. The recommended life of aluminum frames is suggested to be 4-6 years, depending on mileage, type of riding, etc. Steel frames have no such limit."

I never even once fell off my bike in 10 years of riding, so for me, a lifetime of use is a possibility.

Some aluminum frames are more robust than others. If you buy a well-built aluminum frame and take care of it, it will probably outlast you. If longevity is still a concern, take a look at buying an aluminum frame from a manufacturer that offers a limited lifetime warranty (Trek comes to mind). I have owned several aluminum frames and ride them a bunch. I've never had any of them wear out.

Regarding comfort, my wife has a Vitus 979 - it's an older thin-tubed aluminum frame. Super comfortable, not at all an "asshammer". In fact, it's probably one of the most comfortable bikes I have ever ridden. It's flexy, but if you don't mind a little chain rub on the derailleurs when standing, it's not too much of a problem. My point - aluminum isn't necessarily uncomfortable. Much of aluminum's reputation of being uncomfortable probably has to do with Cannondales from the late 80's and early 90's. Back then, those bikes were super stiff but quite uncomfortable. Aluminum frame designers have gotten better at finding the right balance of comfort, performance and durability. But unfortunately, aluminum's reputation for being uncomfortable has stuck around.

Telling one from the other .. is that merely a matter of price, or are there brands to avoid?

I hope that's true, I really do, because at my price point I shall probably have to buy aluminum.

Flexy? Aluminum is really not supposed to flex at all. The reason aluminum frames are stiffer than steel is because it fatigues and fails if flexed many times. Steel can flex repeatedly forever without fatigue.

Answers in red.

10k+ miles on my alum frame. No signs of destruction yet. I'm probably going to ride it into the ground the way my finances are going lol

It always comes to this --- arguments about which metal is better for which thing.

To echo a previous poster, if you can't get reasonably priced steel, which you've already decided is your preference (hence no need for the arguments), then get aluminum in a reputable brand from a reputable dealer and be done with it.

If durability & longevity is what you want, then ignore the weight-weenie racing bikes and get a sturdier, somewhat heavier one. I'm sure it'll last you 20 years or more. For comfort, a carbon fork is a must. Peraonally, I'm not real confident about carbon seat stays because of that butted joint situation, but they might have sturdier joints out there as well.

Good advice there, BillyD. Thanks.

there is data chart or link somewhere in these threads from some fatigue to failure tests these german scientists conduct. big name, custom, steel, lugged, tig welded, titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber bikes were all in the test group. all of the steel bikes were pretty much the first to fail. a cannondale aluminum, a trek carbon fiber, and one other aluminum bike finished wih the highest marks. they stopped the test before these bikes failed at all. but it was a bunch of german scientists. what do they know about engineering? cheers.

All of life is a trade off. I too am over 50, took a long time off from cycling, and got back in to it about a year ago. I made a few upgrades to my old Mercian steel frame and got back in to riding. I wanted something a little more modern so I picked up a used Al 2004 Colnago Dream. What a great frame. The set up is heavy by today’s standards, 20 lbs fully loaded, but it’s 4 pounds lighter than the Mercian and a whole lot quicker.

The nice thing about being over 50 is I do not have to worry about all the stuff that worries 30 year olds. If my bike suits me that’s all I need to worry about. I went with Colnago because they are a world class builder. My frame is a couple of generations back so I didn’t have to pay a whole lot of money for it. I also went with a two year old Campy Chorus set up, not a lot of carbon, but it too is perfect for me.

My one concession to old school was my saddle choice, I have a Brooks swift, it adds 1/2 pound to the bike but it is so nice on this old butt.

I have a down payment on a carbon frame that a group of us is buying from Pedal Force. With the current components I have on hand for it the bike should weigh in at 17.5 pounds. I’ll ride it for a while and see if I want to sell either it or the Colnago. It doesn’t worry me one way or the other.

Cycling over 50 is great! I can go fast when I want, I can cruise when I want.

I ride an AL frame w/ carbon forks and chain stays - very comfortable ride.

1: No.

2: Rigidity is a function of frame design more than material. Shock absorbing systems aren't used because if you design a frame correctly it doesn't matter. A spring-deflection mitigation method commonly used is a carbon fork.

Yes, shock absorbing, gel handlebar tapes, saddles with thicker padding or even springs like the Brooks Conquest, and wider tires that you can run at lower pressures are all shock absorbing systems that can help smooth out the road shocks. Gloves with gel pads and shorts with shock absorbing pads can also help. If there were no need for these things, they would disappear from the marketplace, but they work and you may find them very helpful. Cheers.

As much as I value Zinn's opinion, this is just to general of a statement. Bicycle magazine has about as much authority and credibility as Bush's white house. I wouldn't worry about aluminum failing.

Have you considered a vintage bike? It can be had for ~$500. If those things are tuned properly, and the components are in decent shape, they work better than most modern bikes.

buying lightly used bikes seems the best way to go in my opinion.. just paid $615 US dollars for a yr 2000 cannondale team saeco pro frame equipped with flashy mavic ksyrium wheelset and full ultegra with approx 2500 mi on everything... 2500mi in my opinion isn't much.. better than paying over 2,0000 to get it new. i'll pretend it's new and hopefully won't tell the difference, lol.
buying new frames is just silly in my opinion.. 400-500 bucks for a surly pacer?? you could get a beautiful vintage steel frame in great condition, that has 100 times the class, for a fraction of that.
I rode an aluminum cannondale frame across the US twice, she still rides as comfy as ever with no hiccups.. I believe I read an article debunking the poor ride quality of aluminum once.. it claimed the wall thickness of the tubes is the main factor involved in stiffness and flexibility and ride quality...

Retirement is much closer for me, but I don't need to explain my personal circumstances to you. And with peak oil around the corner, a lot of us will be left holding the bikes we have when the music stops.

Guess what: gasoline is cheaper than food, and the price of both are directly tied to oil.

I agree. That circumstance (cheap oil) is about to change radically.

I love the smooth ride of my aluminum Klein frame. My fear, can the thin tubes fatique unannounced? I check the welds frequently. Seems ok. No visible signs. Recall once, a Cannondale aluminum frame had a castrophic failure for some member of a local club. Totally unexpected. Luckily, they said, he got off ok.

The problem with used frames is you don't know how far or hard its been ridden. Last year I bought two vintage steel lugged frames that looked like they were in very good condition and ridden very little, and both of them developed cracks around the bottom bracket area in a matter of months. The second one went less than 700 miles. I could have applied the same money to a new frame that would still have thousands of miles left in it.

I also cracked my Specialized aluminum frame last month. The chain stay cracked cleanly in half right in front of the drop out. I was climbing a small hill and snap!...suddenly my rear wheel was fishtailing all over the place. I checked the frame over carefully the week before and it looked OK. It was sudden and with no warning. The steel frames that I have broken (see above post and also tons of steel BMX frames) all developed small cracks that I recognized long before catastrophic failure.

Mihlbach. Broke a steel frame. How would you describe your riding style. Off road cycling? Maybe a terrific sprinter?