Someone told me to be sure to get a steel frame and not aluminum if I buy a new road bike because steel is a more comfortable ride. Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions about steel vs. aluminum?
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Thread: Frame material
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03-03-2005, 07:01 AM #1
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Frame material
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03-03-2005, 08:02 AM #2
I love headwinds! Really?
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under the search button type in " steel vs" theres a ton of threads here about the difference in all the frame materials!
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03-03-2005, 04:55 PM #3
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Test Rides
I test rode different bikes and found I LIKED aluminum (many have carbon forks). So... forget what people say and test ride bikes made from different materials... and find what is comfortable for you. If your bike shop isn't encouraging you to test ride, shop elsewhere!
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03-03-2005, 09:39 PM #4
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There are a great many pros and cons of all the materials. My preference is steel. I have both and I like the solid feel, and the longgevity of it. An aluminum frame is going to be lighter and thus spunkier, but they don't tend to last as long(5yrs mtb racing as opposed to 20+). On road it is not so dramatic, as well as maybe that long term is not a concern.
As always, do what makes it fun. You dont have to know the metalurgy of the frame to know what feels good. Test many. Enjoy.Ride it, break it, fixit, ride it...
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03-04-2005, 11:42 AM #5
Lookin' for tailwinds
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All things being equal - aluminum will beat you to death. Sorry, I went from aluminum to steel and I won't ever go back. Plus, I had a crack in my steel frame and they fixed it. I had a crack in my aluminum frame and had ~10 pounds of junk.
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03-04-2005, 11:44 AM #6
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Yes! Aluminum can be fun for short rides and climbing, but . .
Originally Posted by Dogmama
All things being equal - aluminum will beat you to death. Sorry, I went from aluminum to steel and I won't ever go back. Plus, I had a crack in my steel frame and they fixed it. I had a crack in my aluminum frame and had ~10 pounds of junk.
I had an aluminum frame once. At the 35-40 mile mark, I wanted to throw it into the nearest ditch and walk home, Look cleats and all. Spunky is a good term but I don't want spunky for a century. I want smooth (not chunky).
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03-04-2005, 03:09 PM #7
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from the wisdom of Dogmama "I had a crack in my steel frame and they fixed it. I had a crack in my aluminum frame and had ~10 pounds of junk.
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true, you can send a steel frame to the village blacksmith (no, not really), aluminum, carbon go shopping for a new bike.
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