Carbon Vs Aluminum Bike Frames

Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames.

Carbon vs aluminum bike frames.

Unlike aluminum the production of carbon bikes is labor intensive and requires specialized molds and machinery. While both materials can be made into responsive comfortable and lightweight frames they each have some strengths and weaknesses. Having said that bamboo is a legitimate bike frame material. Carbon fiber vs aluminum bike frames.

On a carbon bike the catastrophic failure point is much higher than an aluminum bike due to the flex qualities of the carbon material. These joints are similar to carbon fiber. It s generally accepted that aluminum frames have a five year fatigue life. However in the higher levels of competitive and athletic bike riding some competitors have publicly claimed that these bikes can be a bit too strict when it comes to riding especially with ultra strict bike models.

The vast majority of modern bikes however will be made from aluminum or carbon fiber. In order to achieve a greater strength to weight ratio quality aluminium bike frames are butted. A carbon fibre frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminium equivalent and you ll only find carbon fibre bikes in the pro peloton in part because of the weight benefits. Carbon frames are typically lighter and can have a longer lifespan.

When it comes to bike frames aluminium is alloyed with another metal. Some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on. Well like comfort aesthetics are quite subjective and in any case beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. On carbon frames you need to pay attention to tube junctions the bottom bracket area the top and bottom surfaces of the head tube and the chain stays and seat stays.

These are kind of a novelty at this point. It s worth noting that not all carbon fibre is equal and it s possible that a low grade carbon frame could weigh more than a high end aluminum frame. Conversely carbon possesses the longest fatigue life. Most bamboo bikes are made by starting with strong bamboo poles then binding the joints together with fiber and resin.

Most bike frames will be made of either steel titanium aluminum or carbon fiber steel and titanium are the most popular options for custom and handmade bike building. The typical aluminum frame possesses a life expectancy of five to 10 years. With a carbon bike you ll be able to achieve this far easier than if you were riding an aluminum bike. Carbon bikes are more expensive than aluminum bikes.

Just as one impact of this nature could break an aluminum frame and not a carbon frame repeated stresses in this manner would cause an aluminum frame to break sooner as well. Most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on carbon frames. For more info check out my carbon fiber vs aluminum frame guide.