Subject: RE: Aluminum vs steel vs carbon You won't find many new steel (or CroMo) bikes being sold unless they are 20+ years old or from some custom / specialty manufacturer. Steel rugged but heavy and will rust eventually. Aluminum is much lighter than steel. It has better impact resistance and its repairable (unlike carbon, which you can't weld). Carbon does not make you faster. Its a little lighter than aluminum (typically a few hundred grams on the frame and in the wallet areas). That weight difference won't matter much unless you are riding big hills and are already down to 5% body fat and 2 EPO injections/day . A lot of people say carbon is more comfortable to ride on for long distances but personally I couldn't tell the difference. These days most $2000+ frames are made of carbon. Most frames are made in China and with low labour costs it's just about the same as to properly weld a frame. If you are a MOP rider on a budget, an aluminum frame will not hold you back any. Of course it does feel nice to have the latest and greatest piece of equipment, and for emotional satisfaction, carbon is king. I wonder if some manufacturer will come out with $20k frames made of aramid fibre. |