Bicycle frame recommendation

Common materials for bicycle frames are generally carbon fiber, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, steel or a mixture of these materials (such as a frame of titanium alloy joint + carbon fiber tube). These different materials will have different properties and will affect the cost, comfort, weight, strength, rigidity, durability and more of the frame. However, while materials are important, frame design and manufacturing process are also the most important factors in frame performance. Those mentioned above are the materials we commonly see (although there are no bicycles made of wood, bamboo, etc.).

If you're starting with frame materials and planning to buy a bike,below are what you need to consider：

weight:

Each material has different strength properties, fatigue curves and impact resistance. When you choose, you have to make trade-offs, weight is only one aspect of it, if you are weight sensitive and looking for performance, then lightweight materials are yours. However, if your goal is to be strong and durable. Can carry you and your dreams to walk all over the country, then weight should obviously not be your primary criterion.

Properties of the bike:

This is a topic that every driver can't avoid, don't get carried away, think carefully about whether you need it or not before deciding whether it is necessary to buy it. If your bike is for racing, a rigid, lightweight bike is ideal and also narrows down your material choices for you. Conversely, if you're planning a long ride or traverse, and you're going to be in the car for a long time and carry a lot of luggage, durability will be a priority. Again, this narrows down the options for you.

Place you ride:

While where you are doesn't affect your choice of frame material, consider things like steel frames that can rust when exposed to moisture for long periods of time. Therefore, at this time, the aluminum frame will be more suitable for those wet areas, and at the same time, it can provide characteristics close to the steel frame.

Will it be your lifelong companion:

All materials will fatigue over time, but some will come in faster than others. Steel frames can rust if you're not careful, but they're also more durable than aluminum frames in the long run. Carbon fiber and titanium alloy frames are extremely resistant to fatigue, so their durability is excellent too.

Budget:

Everything mentioned above needs to be built within your budget, which is also a big factor that affects what car we buy. For mainstream brands, titanium alloy frames are undoubtedly expensive, carbon fiber frames are second, and then aluminum and steel frames. Of course, there will be more expensive options out there, we also can find steel frames that are more expensive than carbon fiber frames, or titanium frames that are cheaper than carbon frames.So according to your budget, choose the range you can afford.

To better understand bicycle materials, following briefly summarizes the types, properties, properties of each material and their impact on ride quality.

1,carbon fiber bike frames:

Carbon fiber is undoubtedly the most popular frame material in recent years, thanks to its extremely high rigidity-to-weight ratio, unlimited creativity, high fatigue resistance and moldability, it can be made according to the needs. Frame characteristics. While other materials have limited design space, carbon fiber can be fabricated into almost any shape, any design that fits your expectations. This allows the frame to remain aerodynamic, strong, and comfortable while still maintaining a very light weight.

• Advantages of carbon fiber: high stiffness-to-weight ratio, can design products through material orientation, corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, high strength.
• Disadvantages: Long manufacturing cycle and high price. Although it is not easy to be damaged, once it is damaged especially crashed it is very difficult to be repair.

2.Aluminum alloy:

Aluminum alloy frame is a common material on modern bicycles and is widely used in various accessories. Because of its low density and easy formability, aluminum is ideal for making frames. Aluminum frames are relatively cheap, especially compared to carbon fiber frames. It takes 14 times as long to build a carbon fiber frame as an aluminum frame.

Like carbon fiber, aluminum alloys are also distinguished by their different designations and different formulations. In addition to the difference in the material itself, the advancement of manufacturing technology has also brought a great leap forward to the aluminum alloy frame. Not only pipes of various shapes can be produced, but also pipes of different thicknesses can be produced, making them lighter while ensuring structural strength. The technique, known as butting, allows the tube to be thinner in the center to save weight, and thicker on the sides, which also facilitates welding.

• Advantages of aluminum alloys: low cost, easy to manufacture, high strength to weight ratio, corrosion resistance, etc.
• Disadvantages of aluminum alloys: difficult to repair, poor fatigue resistance

3,steel frame:

Steel was always the best bicycle frames choice until the advent of aluminum alloy frames in the 1970s and 1980s.

Two common steels used on bicycles are high tensile steel and chrome molybdenum steel. High-tensile steel is a very cheap material, its strength-to-weight ratio is outrageous, and its price is low, so it is usually used in some cheap cars, such as supermarkets or cheap cars. Chromium-molybdenum steel is much better, with the addition of chromium, which makes it stronger than high-tensile steel, and can be made lighter using a butting technique.

Unlike carbon fiber and aluminum alloy frames, damage repairs on steel frames are much easier, and broken locations can be re-welded back together. While the weight is still not comparable to aluminum and carbon fiber, it provides very good compliance and elasticity, also more comfortable and durable than aluminum frames, and is more .

Steel is often used as a material in long-distance and touring vehicles, thanks to its excellent durability, strength and comfort. Steel frames are also popular in the beginner and leisure vehicle , where weight is not an important factor.

• Advantages: Inexpensive, easy to manufacture, strong, durable.
• Disadvantages: heavy, poor corrosion resistance.

4,Titanium alloy frames:

Titanium frames have many of the same properties as steel frames, but are lighter and more durable. The downside is that it is expensive and requires a lot of expertise to make a high-quality frame. Like aluminum alloys and steel, titanium used in bicycles is an alloy that usually contains small amounts of aluminum and vanadium.

Titanium frames seems never really get common because they lacked the price advantage and more creative space compared to aluminum and carbon fiber. Nonetheless, a titanium frame has a better stiffness-to-weight ratio than a steel frame, and a similar flexibility to a carbon frame, the key being that it's nearly "indestructible" and can last a lifetime. Almost all titanium alloy brands offer a lifetime warranty that also protects against some manufacturing defects.

• Advantages: Strength, Durability, Corrosion Resistance, Comfortable Ride, Light Weight
• Disadvantages: high material and manufacturing costs, difficult to manufacture

After understanding all the common materials, you can choose according to your needs and budget. Hope you can get your perfect bike frames.