chas58

Just those bikes in particular. Its not that they are aluminum, its that they are track bikes designed to be as stiff as possible. The fork and seat post exacerbate the stiffness of the frame. It makes them super responsive, and because they are stiff, they feel faster than they are on the road. Personally I’ll ride 23mm on the track, but on the road I’ll shoe horn as big a tire as I can fit on there (small 28mm on the front, large 28mm on the back).

Stiff track bikes are fun though. I like playing with them on the road. If you don’t mind riding the stiffest bike available, they can be a hoot – certainly different than you typical road bike. They are responsive, super short wheelbase, high center of gravity.

(My bike must be about 10 years old now. It is fast – I have to be careful not to spin the wheels when accelerating hard from 23 to 33mph on a smooth surface).



I have steel, aluminum, carbon. I love my Aluminum bikes for their responsiveness, lightness, and reasonable cost. As manufacturers start to form and mold aluminum into something other than a basic tube, the ride is getting better and better too. Salsa claims their V3 Aluminum warbird is more compliant than their V2 Titanium Warbird!





This answer: