Quote Originally Posted by Brina

Final qustions, steel vs alum or composite. Steel just sounds like the right material for a guy his size. Is it truely stronger?

There are so many considerations that it goes well beyond what material a bike is made out of. We can't just say that steel would be better than aluminum or vise versa. It depends on the frame design/geometry (and suspension if there is any...). Designers can build bikes with various tube diameters and wall thickenesses that can seemingly change the way a bike feels (and how durable it is) regardless of the type of material it is made of. Tire selection and tire pressure will also change the way a bike feels regardless of frame material. So we can only make general (and generic) statements about frame materials.

You really need to look at the purpose/usage of this bike. Is it for racing? Is it for Sunday outings? Somewhere inbetween? Is it going to bashed around on single track every weekend or strickly ridden on the road? Is weight important? Comfort? Durability? etc.

I'd say have your hubby get out there and test ride both. See what he thinks. You might even want to bring your own air pump along so you can set the tire pressure to your own specs. A 10psi pressure sway on my road bike can be the difference between a comfortable ride or a horrible, crotch jarring sufferfest.

Good luck,