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| A specially designed carbon fiber frame by Delta7 Bikes. |
Once you have decided on the right road bike for you, the next thing to consider is the frame material. Road bikes come in either steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, or titanium frames. Each material has their own benefits so it is important to decide on the right frame for you.
Steel frames have been the traditional standard for over a century. It is easy to bend and shape for different frame types. Steel is known for being durable, affordable, easily repairable, and to have an excellent ride quality. Low-quality frames are commonly heavy, but higher-quality alloys are highly regarded by some cyclists because steel is highly customizable in shape and design (1).
Aluminum frames are now the most popular frame material and became widely produced in the 1980s when the construction process became more efficient. It is popular for racers because it is the lightest frame material (1,2). The quality of tubing varies for aluminum frames so cyclists can usually find a bike that will fit into their budget. The aluminum frames are also resistant to rust, which is an added bonus (1).
Carbon fiber frames are unique because they are not made of metals, like the other frame materials. A combination of fabric and resin is easily formed to a variety of shapes that are extremely light, stiff, and durable (1). There is a very strong strength to weight ratio for carbon fiber frames (2). Resistant to corrosion and in demand for other industries, carbon fiber is on the top end of the pricing for most cyclists. Carbon fiber is also quite popular fork material because of shock absorption and handling (1).
Titanium frames are strong, long lasting, and quite expensive. Metalworking with titanium requires specialized tools and welding equipment that drives up the costs. Even with the higher price tag, many cyclists believe it combines the best of the rest because of the lightweight and comfortable ride that is comparable to the steel and aluminum frames. Titanium forks are usually heavier than most cyclist want, so titanium frame bikes usually come with a carbon fork to reduce unnecessary weight (1).
Considering the type of road bike and your intentions for riding will help in deciding on the frame material and how much you need to budget. You need to make sure the frame will fulfill your needs but be cost effective as well.
Sources
1. Buyers' guide to road bicycles! (n.d.). TrekRaleigh.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014, from http://trekraleigh.com/buyers-guides/buyers-guide-to-road-bicycles-pg122.htm
2. Towle, D. (2009). The best material to build a custom bicycle from. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.rodbikes.com/articles/material-world.html
Considering the type of road bike and your intentions for riding will help in deciding on the frame material and how much you need to budget. You need to make sure the frame will fulfill your needs but be cost effective as well.
Sources
1. Buyers' guide to road bicycles! (n.d.). TrekRaleigh.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014, from http://trekraleigh.com/buyers-guides/buyers-guide-to-road-bicycles-pg122.htm
2. Towle, D. (2009). The best material to build a custom bicycle from. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.rodbikes.com/articles/material-world.html
This is very informative. I had no idea of all the different frame types of bikes or how to choose the right one for me. Now I definitely know where to start!
ReplyDeletethis reading was very help full to me. i knew there where different types of bike frames but i didn't realize the reason for them. Now i know and i can tell others the information i learned in this reading.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very informative and can have many separate articles written from it. the information was very constant about each different frame of bike, i also had no idea that people went into this much depth over a bike frame.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting topic, I personally had a hobby for bikes and actually purchased quite a bit of them. Of the large variety of frames, I did not know about the carbon fiber. Great write up to show how broad simply choosing a frame can be.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting Article. I love how technology plays its role through out the years. People find ways to improve the bike frame as years go on. For example, The carbon fiber frame is rust resistant, light and its not even made from metal. I find that very interesting. Also I had a hobby of riding bikes in my younger days so i found this article quite interesting
ReplyDeleteI really like this article because of the amount of knowledge you can gain form it. I didnt really know about the different types bike frames and what they were used for. When i was in middle school you would rarely see me off of a bike and I still had no clue what all this stuff meant. I thought that a bike was a bike, and that you were supposed to ride it.
ReplyDeletethis article was very informative. I knew that there were differences with bike frames but I had no idea about a lot of them. For example the carbon fiber frame is rust resistant. I have a friend that is really big in bikes and now I feel like I can hold a good conversation with im now about bikes.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting and very informing. Now I knew there were different types of bikes and different types that were made up of different types of metal, but no idea about the different types of frames. I thought the carbon fibers frames were really interesting and how they are not made of actual metal. I would love to try out a carbon fiber frame bike and see if it feels any different from and actual metal bike.
ReplyDeleteThis article actually taught me quite a bit, I had no idea of all the different materials that the cycle could be made from or any of the different advantages of the materials.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not a serious bike rider, I do love it. I think I would stay with the traditional steel frame mainly because I had one throughout my childhood and it served me well and I trust it will work.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article I didn't ever think about what is actually in a bike just the look this will help me know just what type of bike I really need to have for certain experinces
ReplyDeleteI never knew how many materials were used for different bikes. I personally used to ride a bike all the time that had steel bike frames. I would like to see the difference in the types so I could find one I like and start riding again.
ReplyDeleteThis article is awesome, and I learned a lot about the frames of bikes and what is in them
ReplyDelete