Bike Frame Materials Comparison

Frames are required to be strong stiff and light which they do by combining different.
Bike frame materials comparison. Steel was the universal choice of racing bike frames until aluminium appeared in the 1970 s and 1980 s and carbon fiber took over in the 1990 s. Introduced as a material for bicycle frames about 30 years ago aluminum is now the most common material. Carbon or high tensile steel is a good strong long lasting steel but it isn t as light as its more high tech brother the steel known as chromoly. Because of its decreased density it requires larger tube diameters to achieve enough strength for a bike frame.
High end mountain bikes also take advantage of carbon and here it is again a wonderful frame material. The most common bicycle frame material aluminum is known for being corrosion resistant fairly light though typically not as light as carbon fiber and having a high strength to weight ratio. A main triangle and a paired rear triangle this is known as the diamond frame. It s a relatively light and stiff material and generally cheaper to produce than carbon.
The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle and consists of two triangles. The drawbacks and strengths of each material will also be covered. For more information check out our guide to xy coordinates and frame comparison tips tricks. Aluminium was the leader when it came to frame material before carbon become more accessible.
It is less dense than steel so it results in lighter frames. This creates a stereotypically harsher ride. A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle onto which wheels and other components are fitted. However nowadays the ride of an aluminium frame can be exceptional.
Frame comparison this tool allows you to compare two frames side by side and calculate the effect of different stem spacer combinations on the bar position. The biggest pitfall for mountain bikes is durability big crashes can send that pricy frame. Steel is the most commonly used material in bike frames. The excessive use of more material to reinforce frames resulted in stiff frames before designs became more refined.
There are two distinct types of steel used in the bicycle industry. In this article i am going to talk about what materials are used in bicycle frame production.