THE HEART AND SOUL OF BICYCLE FRAME MATERIALS

 

Written by Mike Palmeri, owner of Cartecay Bike Shop in Ellijay, GA.  Mike was certified in 1983 by the Schwinn Bicycle School in Chicago, Illinois and re-certified in 2000 by the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, Oregon.  He is a certified bicycle mechanic, suspension specialist, a DT Swiss master wheel builder, and has been in the bike business since 1979.

 

Steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber are all common bicycle frame materials that bike manufacturers use today.  The characteristics of each material: weight, appearance, function, benefits and limitations, can lead or mislead the consumer when deciding which bicycle to purchase.

 

Bicycle manufacturers try to meet new trends in the industry by sparking consumer interest and offering new and exciting space-age frame materials.  Often times, the substance behind claims of super strength, resilience and lightweight is little more than marketing fare.  The far majority of bicycle frame construction today is from steel and aluminum.

 

STEEL!  Man, steel is HEAVY!  That’s the comment I hear almost every day from new bicycle consumers.   Steel is an exceptionally versatile material, and can exhibit a wide range of physical and mechanical properties.  When steel is formed into bicycle tubing, it can be light, strong and comparatively inexpensive.  To address the heavy steel comments, high tensile steel is commonly used in department store bicycle frames. STAY AWAY….stay FAR, FAR away!  Lightweight steel incorporates different percentages of alloying elements that improve the weight, strength, and overall performance of the metal.  So, if steel is such a great frame material, why is the selection of steel bicycle frames available to the consumer decreasing?  Because, steel takes more manpower to produce and many of the larger manufacturers are scaling back their steel frame production.  Steel provides a softer ride, and can be as light or lighter than aluminum.  Steel is great for hardtail mountain bikes and road bike frames.  I highly recommend steel hardtails for cross-county racers, adventure racers, long rides on gravel, and any rides 3-6 hours long.  As I mentioned, many manufacturers are building aluminum frames, but steel frames are still out there.  It is worth the time to research the smaller frame builders who specialize in steel production.

 

So why are there so many aluminum frame bicycles?  Aluminum tubing has applications that are popular today.  They are lightweight and have low production cost.  The manufacturer can build ten aluminum frames for every one steel frame.  More frames equal more sales.  The most common aluminum used is the 6000 and 7000 series, and aluminum can be welded or bonded.  Aluminum is a much stiffer metal than steel, but has only one third the fatigue strength, which is the ability to withstand many cycles of stress.  Aluminum is not necessarily inferior as these properties have their place in the bicycle industry.  Aluminum frames deliver a harsher, stiffer ride.  Many riders complain of the lack of shock absorption, resulting in the cyclist’s premature fatigue.  But, aluminum can be a great frame material for dual suspension bikes or for larger riders.

 

Titanium.  Thanks to the aerospace industry and the military, titanium tubing for bicycle frames is here to stay.  I love titanium tubing.  It has an excellent strength to weight ratio, it is fatigue and corrosion resistant, and very resilient.  Titanium is the preferred frame material for more than a few cyclists.  The major drawback: titanium bicycle frames made in the USA are not inexpensive.  The high cost of titanium tubing is due to the extensive labor involved in processing, and the highly skilled labor needed to weld the frames into works of art.  Titanium is an ideal frame material for super light cross-country mountain bike frames, dual suspension mountain bike frames, as well as road bike frames.

 

Carbon fiber.  Give credit to Thomas Edison for the first purposeful creation of carbon fibers.  In 1878, he converted cotton fibers into carbon in his search for lamp filament material.  In the past 20 years, carbon fiber has come to be used extensively in many sports applications.  Carbon fiber is a composite material, which means it contains a reinforcement in the form of fibers or particles.  Bicycle frames can use carbon fiber exclusively, or in combination with aluminum, steel or titanium.  Some full carbon frames are made in a mold and are essentially one piece.  Carbon fiber is also used to wrap over aluminum parts to make small components like cranks, brake levers, and the rear ends of steel, aluminum or titanium road frames.  Carbon fiber frames have a short life span, but are great for long road riding (biathalons, triathalons).  Carbon is not recommended for off-road bicycle frames.

 

Those are the basics of bicycle frame materials.  If you have any questions, or need more specifics, call (706-635-2453) or Send mail to Cartecay Bikes