memonroe

I have always had a steel frame bike and never had to many comfort issues using it for an every day commute. Now I am shopping for a new used bike and trying to decide if I stick with steel or open my search to aluminum.

What are the advantages of aluminum over steel, besides the lighter weight of course?

I live in Atlanta. The roads suck.

bigbossman 

Go with Carbon Fiber - you'll never regret it.

auchencrow

You won't find too many people around here lauding aluminum over steel. Quite the opposite.

JunkYardBike

Just as not all steel frames are created equally, neither are all aluminum frames. I think you're headed in the right direction; include aluminum framed bikes in your search. Test ride both (and maybe even a couple CF frames to make bigbossman happy) and pick one you like.

clasher

I like both. I think tires have more an affect on the ephemeral "ride quality" people like to prattle on about. Personally, I think it's mostly bunk but whatever.

SteelsReal

gotta ride em both its a personal preference in my opinion

sced

True.

I have a couple of very nice classic steel racers and a couple of newish aluminum bikes. The aluminum bikes win hands down in the smooth ride department. Part of it is likely geometry, with the aluminum bikes having longer wheelbases, and they also have carbon forks. They all have different personalities, which I really appreciate as I rotate through them.

pastorbobnlnh 

Having lived in Atlanta for 10+ years and since I still visit there often, your roads are perfect race course smooth compared to other places I've been or lived. It is such a joy (asphalt quality wise) to ride the bike I keep there, compared to the roads in these parts. Or have you ever been to PA, VT, or ME?

Now the traffic conditions, that's another story! I would not trade the lack of traffic I enjoy in NH for 10 all chrome 1970s minty Schwinn Paramounts!

Try all the different frame materials which are in your price range. And enjoy the shopping!

auchencrow

I stand corrected: ( I never thought so many would appreciate the ride on aluminum-framed bikes here! )

Thumpic

one of each?.........keep the one you like the most..........

rccardr 

+1 on the wheel/tire combo. Makes all the difference in the ride of any frame.

Have both steel and aluminum, ride both, like both.
On good wheels with good tires, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two.

bradtx

memonroe, Welcome to the forum. You'll get a lot of advice about how aluminum frames are too stiff, with a race frame of steel or aluminum there is a lot of stiffnes, primarily because of the geometry. As said above that can be tamed with tire selection. I've ridden aluminum for nearly two decades and I prefer a 'large' 23C or a 25C tire run at about 100 PSI, sometimes less.

For me the biggest advantage of aluminum is the lack of bottom bracket flex. Yes, there are steel frames I couldn't flex the BB, but I discovered them after going with aluminum.

Brad

RobbieTunes

Hmm. I have 80's steel, 80's carbon, 80's aluminum, and Ti and CF from the modern era.

Blindfolded, and with earplugs, I could probably tell the 80's carbon from the Al and steel, mainly due to fork flex.
Blindfolded, and with earplugs, I could probably tell the modern Ti and CF apart right off the bat.
Blindfolded, and with earplugs, I could probably not tell which steel I was on, or even tell them from the aluminum model.

Like others said, tire size/psi and wheel type make a huge difference, and 700x25's on a mid-level wheel made my C'dale quite docile.
Likewise, tire size and too much psi can make even a naturally compliant frame a literal PITA.

If you're just buying a bike, and not an era or character trait, I'd try the best bikes you can afford, regardless of frame material.
Most of the problems with aluminum were engineered out a while ago, same with CF.
Steel generally didn't have those issues, but that didn't automatically make it a better bike. It's just my preference.

There are a lot of variables. Don't rule out a frame material. Back when almost everything was steel or skinny-tubed aluminum, it was "frame plus components."
It still is, to a degree, but it's often a package deal, and some of the packages work extremely well. The market demanded it.

Few people any more can outride the average bike's capabilities, frame-wise.
I've broken bb shells on early aluminum bikes, but those were certainly warranty issues, not me.

I sincerely doubt the engineers at almost any manufacturer ever sat around and worried that Joe Bike Guy would be able to outride their frame lineup.
Have fun shopping, and try out every good deal you see. Try to test ride without looking at the bike you're on.

Um, don't ride blindfolded and with earplugs, though.