frame life & steel vs. aluminum

[goddess1222]

what is the frame life of an aluminum bike?

AND

for those of you who ride steel, if you had an aluminum frame prior to steel, how do you compare the two?

weight wise, how much heavier is the steel compared to alu?


call it my addiction, but i just really want another bike.

[waterlilli]

Mountain Bike Action had an article called Your Bike Has Expired. It said 4 years for steel and 2 for aluminum. That is hard riding. I will try to find the link for you.

[goddess1222]

thank you.

[Trek420]

Originally posted by goddess1222

weight wise, how much heavier is the steel compared to alu?


call it my addiction, but i just really want another bike. [/B]

Hi Goddess,

You can't have too many bikes ;-)

My partners Mondonico Futura Legero is LIGHTER by far than her previous aluminum Cannondale racing bike (bought used from a friend who bought it from Olympic cyclist Maureen Kayla (sp?)) . Well designed steel can be lighter and nothing beats the ride of steel.

Dita

[goddess1222]

thank you TREK420. i have been made to feel by a few that wanting a few bikes isn't practical. i say Screw'em. if i want another bike, i am getting another bike.

[Irulan]

I can think of lots worse habits to have than buying bikes.

:)

[Veronica]

Here's a link to an article comparing frame materials.



Veronica
http://www.rivbike.com/html/101_framematerials.html

[Trek420]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by goddess1222 "thank you TREK420. i have been made to feel by a few that wanting a few bikes isn't practical. "

What's wrong with not being practical?? It's fun.

But seriously, bikes are tools. I have a rake, a shovel and a posthole digger. I don't dig postholes with my rake. ;-)

I have a mountain bike, I don't ride it on the road, nor do I ride my road bike off road.

some people buy new cars each year...THAT'S impractical

DR

[goddess1222]

hey TREK, i like your attitude. especially about the new car thing. such a waste.

[Juliette]

Goddess-

Who are these people who think you have too many bikes? It's none of their business unless you have asked them to buy the bikes.:p

I have four bikes myself, and am soon to buy a fifth. I have the original mountain bike, the second mountain bike I just can't part with, the mountain bike I currently ride, the road bike and am thinking about buying a bike friday that I desperately need for vacations.

Re: Steel vs aluminum, most steel frames these days are as light or lighter than aluminum frames, it really just depends on the specific frame you are looking at. I think the longevity of a frame is more a function of the rider, their weight and riding style and the quality of manufacturing that went into the welding process instead of the frame material.

[Susan126]

I believe that the longevity of a bike depends on the owner and on how well they take care of their bikes. I have seen people show up for mountain bike rides with bikes caked with mud from their previous ride. And parts that needed to be replaced ages ago. My bike is well taken care of. Both of them, the road bike and the mountain bike. My husband tears them down twice a year. In the spring and in the fall. I mean completely down where the parts are neatly lined up on the garage floor. Each piece is then cleaned and greased and inspected. Then he reassembles the bike replacing cables, chains, and anything else he sees that might need to be replaced. He loves working on our bikes as much as riding them. I guess I am lucky having my own personal "bike mechanic" in the house. He told me many times that when he eventually retires (from the job that pays the bills) he would love to work once or twice a week in a bike shop servicing bikes. He said they won't even have to pay him! Anyway, my mountain bike has seen some nasty muddy winters and it still looks new! People always comment on whether or not I actually ride it a lot. It's going into it's 6th year and parts have been replaced and upgraded but it's still a sweet bike to ride! I look at the new bikes each spring and think how wonderful it would be to get a newer bike and someday I will (as soon as my kids are through college ... my youngest is starting this fall ... so four more years) but for now this bike can still give me one great ride through the mud! Sue :)

[Irulan]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that alumninum and steel FEEL different.

Irulan

[DoubleLori]

Steel road bikes can last indefinitely if they are cared for (not allowed to rust). My oldest bike just turned 25 years old three days ago. Steel can also be repaired easily if it gets bent. Aluminum does fatigue and break (you will never find springs of any kind made out of aluminum) so you cannot rebend it back to the original shape if it gets bent without risking frame failure, and you can't change the spacing of your rear triangle for the same reason. I have 9 bikes. 6 are steel, 2 are aluminum, and 1 is carbon fiber/aluminum. Steel is definitely more comfortable than aluminum, especially for long rides like centuries and double centuries.

[Trek420]

Check out the latest issue of Bicycling for an article about Robin Williams. Talk about a bike collection...wow!