what's a bike made of?

[mimitabby]

synapse alloy feminine

cro-moly

ZR 9000 Alloy

Forged Alloy

Easton Ultralight?

Scandium?? another metal?

does all this mean STEEL?

[KnottedYet]

From what I've gathered, these days "alloy" means aluminum alloy. (it used to generally mean steel alloy)

Unless it specifies chro-moly, platinum, or other steel alloy; your best bet may be to assume it's aluminum alloy.

I think I read that on the Harris website. Maybe it was on the Riv site.

[mimitabby]

al·loy Pronunciation (loi, -loi)
n.
1. A homogeneous mixture or solid solution of two or more metals, the atoms of one replacing or occupying interstitial positions between the atoms of the other: Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper.
2. A mixture; an amalgam: "Television news has . . . always been an alloy of journalism and show business" Bill Moyers.
3. The relative degree of mixture with a base metal; fineness.
4. Something added that lowers value or purity.
tr.v. (-loi, loi) al·loyed, al·loy·ing, al·loys
1. To combine (metals) to form an alloy.
2. To combine; mix: idealism that was alloyed with political skill.
3. To debase by the addition of an inferior element.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Steel is flexible for a smoother ride. Aluminum is lighter but a stiffer less forgiving ride. Carbon is light and forgiving. Steel usually will crack before it breaks. Aluminum and carbon can just snap in pieces so quality is paramount.

[Grog]

Isn't cro-moly steel?

[Bicyclette]

Grog -

From what I've read cro-moly is a steel alloy

[mimitabby]

Steel is flexible for a smoother ride. Aluminum is lighter but a stiffer less forgiving ride. Carbon is light and forgiving. Steel usually will crack before it breaks. Aluminum and carbon can just snap in pieces so quality is paramount.

well, this brings me back to my question. Why can't the bike makers say "ALUMINUM ALLOY" or steel with high chromium?
and what are they mixing with Aluminum anyway?

they have to doll up the name... just say what it is! (so we don't have to feel like idiots because we dont' know what ZR 9000 is!

[DebW]

If it's related to a frame, it's probably steel with some alloying metals.
If it's related to components, it's probably aluminum with some alloying metals.

Cro-moly is a steel used for frames. Forged alloy is aluminum. Not sure about some of the things you mentioned.

[DebW]

well, this brings me back to my question. Why can't the bike makers say "ALUMINUM ALLOY" or steel with high chromium?
and what are they mixing with Aluminum anyway?

they have to doll up the name... just say what it is! (so we don't have to feel like idiots because we dont' know what ZR 9000 is!

Using "alloy" for "aluminum" is stupid but they've been doing it for many many decades. They have to mix things with aluminum because the metal would be much too soft otherwise. Your chainrings might wear out in a week if they were pure aluminum. There are so many ways to alloy it that I guess the manufacturers want to brag on their way and give it a fancy name.

[Popoki_Nui]

synapse alloy feminine
cro-moly
ZR 9000 Alloy
Forged Alloy
Easton Ultralight?
Scandium?? another metal?
does all this mean STEEL?

Cro-moly: this is steel with a high chrome and Molybdenum content for increased strength-to-weight and ride quality properties over standard hi-tensile/hi-carbon steel. Cro-Moly is found on mid-to-higher end bike frames. A variation of Cro-Moly is Manganese-Molybdenum (such as Reynolds 531, etc).
ZR9000 is a trade name (by Trek?) for aluminum alloy containing Zirconium (for the usual reasons...strength/weight/durability etc)
Easton Ultralight: another trade name for proprietary aluminum-alloy frames made by Easton.
Scandium Scandium is a rare-earth mineral and another formulation of aluminum-alloy. It helps stabilize the inherent brittleness of aluminum.
forged alloy forging refers to the method of manufacture allowing higher strength and less stress in alloy parts (like aluminum cranksets, handlebar stems, seatposts, brake calipers, and so on).
6061, 7005, etc this refers to the metallurgical grade of aluminum.
Nowadays, many bikes are made of a combination of materials such as aluminum main triangles with carbon fibre forks and rear end (seat and chain stays).
Hope this helps a little! :)

[mimitabby]

Cro-moly: this is steel with a high chrome and Molybdenum content for increased strength-to-weight and ride quality properties over standard hi-tensile/hi-carbon steel. Cro-Moly is found on mid-to-higher end bike frames. A variation of Cro-Moly is Manganese-Molybdenum (such as Reynolds 531, etc).
ZR9000 is a trade name (by Trek?) for aluminum alloy containing Zirconium (for the usual reasons...strength/weight/durability etc)
Easton Ultralight: another trade name for proprietary aluminum-alloy frames made by Easton.
Scandium Scandium is a rare-earth mineral and another formulation of aluminum-alloy. It helps stabilize the inherent brittleness of aluminum.
forged alloy forging refers to the method of manufacture allowing higher strength and less stress in alloy parts (like aluminum cranksets, handlebar stems, seatposts, brake calipers, and so on).
6061, 7005, etc this refers to the metallurgical grade of aluminum.
Nowadays, many bikes are made of a combination of materials such as aluminum main triangles with carbon fibre forks and rear end (seat and chain stays).
Hope this helps a little! :)

This is great!! thanks a lot!!! most helpful!

[Bad JuJu]

Mimi, when I first saw your question, I was thinking of the nursery rhymes:
Snips and snails and puppy dogs' tails: that's what little boys are made of.
Sugar and spice and everything nice: that's what little girls are made of.

Even at 5 years old, this used to tick me off--I wanted the puppy dogs' tails, not that vapid "everything nice." I'll bet lots of us on this this forum felt that way.

But how can we rewrite the nursery rhymes for our bikes?
Here's mine:
Rubber and steel and everything real: that's what my bicycle's made of.:D

[SadieKate]

Steel is flexible for a smoother ride. Aluminum is lighter but a stiffer less forgiving ride. Carbon is light and forgiving. BFG, all of this is not necessarily true. It depends on the tubing and the manipulation of it (diameter, wall thickness, butting, etc.), the geometry of the frame plus where each type of tube is used in the frame. There are carbon and steel bikes that will also beat the crap out of you because they are so unforgiving. Some of the newer aluminum tubing is getting good reviews. Plus, a rider's weight makes a huge difference in how each materials' ride characteristics are perceived. These days, such generic statements really don't apply.

[Python]

My bike's made of "high tensile carbon steel":confused:

[mimitabby]

My bike's made of "high tensile carbon steel":confused:

i guess that means it's high strung?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A simple article about frame materials in general:
http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/html/101_framematerials.html

[xeney]

Python, that means it was a very decent bike for its era! That is one of the things you look for in a vintage (70s/80s) road bike, high-tensile carbon steel. I don't know what the heck it means, but it translates to bikes that are bit lighter and nicer to ride.

Or so I'm told. I'm starting to think that the fit and the saddle and the tires and things like carbon seatposts and forks matter as much as the frame materials. Based on what I've ridden in the past I thought I preferred steel, but I rode a not-fancy aluminum frame with a carbon seat post and fork over some really rough road last weekend, and it was far more comfortable than my steel road bike (which does have a carbon fork). I think in that case it was because the reach was short enough that I was able to keep more flex in my arms and take some of the shocks in my elbows, but I really wasn't feeling the road bumps too badly in my butt, either.

Whatever happens with my next bike, it is going to have a carbon seat post.

[Popoki_Nui]

My bike's made of "high tensile carbon steel":confused:


Hi-tensile carbon steel was the standard frame material for better general-use bikes for many decades. Raleigh, Falcon, Peugeot, Gitane, Bianchi, Fuji, Crescent, CCM, Schwinn.......almost every marque had a range of bikes using this type of steel. It was inexpensive, relatively lightweight, easy to braze, and durable. One of the nice things about steel frames; if you break it, it can usually be repaired.

[Maxine]

I'm starting to think that the fit and the saddle and the tires and things like carbon seatposts and forks matter as much as the frame materials.

You are starting to think correctly. ;) :) Frame material, in and of itself, is well down on the list of things that make a bike more (or less) comfy to ride.

Use at least size 25 tires, and don't pump them up any higher than 95-100 psi . . . presto, lots of extra comfort for dirt cheap!