What frame materials are others riding in here?
#1
What frame materials are others riding in here?
Just curious what frame materials are fellow clydes riding in here? I have a aluminum road bike and raleigh willard anyroad bike. Plus a Masi cxcomp steel anyroad bike. At my age and weight I find myself wanting any advantage I can get to complete a gravel endurance ride. But I have been told at my size I would most likely love riding a steel bike. I am 6"1 and 305lbs
#2
Dont fix whats not broken
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Reynolds 853 steel here, custom road frame. 6'4", have been as low as 200 lb on this bike, currently a good bit higher than that but losing weight. Have had this frame since '01.
#5
Senior Member
Frame material really doesn't mean as much as a lot of people think. How a bike is put together means so much more. Just saying that you need steel is a red herring as an alloy bike built one way can be a much better bike than a steel bike built another way. There are so many tube profiles and thicknesses in alu/steel/titanium/carbon that you just can't make blanket statements. True, the different materials have properties that make them better suited to different uses, but you have to build it right to make it work that way.
I have a carbon road bike (had 2x carbon and 2x alu in my time), an alu track bike (2x alloy and 2x carbon in my time) and a steel MTB (previously had an alu) for the record. I currently sit at 6'5" and 285 and have been as much as 310 while riding and I don't hold back either.
I have a carbon road bike (had 2x carbon and 2x alu in my time), an alu track bike (2x alloy and 2x carbon in my time) and a steel MTB (previously had an alu) for the record. I currently sit at 6'5" and 285 and have been as much as 310 while riding and I don't hold back either.
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#6
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There are incredibly weak italian road bikes made of steel. They are super lightweight trying to compete with other frame materials and can only do so by using incredibly thin butted tubing and there are overbuilt carbon fibre frames but I'd still say a
general purpose typical steel frame was ideal for heavier riders because they give warning of pending failure. There is an important difference though between those that keep within the weight limits of a bike and those that exceed them. If you are using
a bike within its declared specification then fine but many heavy cyclists sometimes have to exceed the stated weight limits and then considerations about metal fatigue, CF forks and other components come into play to try to reduce risk of the frame, forks and wheels from failing.
Some people simply choose to be greater risk takers too and most of the time they will get away with it.
general purpose typical steel frame was ideal for heavier riders because they give warning of pending failure. There is an important difference though between those that keep within the weight limits of a bike and those that exceed them. If you are using
a bike within its declared specification then fine but many heavy cyclists sometimes have to exceed the stated weight limits and then considerations about metal fatigue, CF forks and other components come into play to try to reduce risk of the frame, forks and wheels from failing.
Some people simply choose to be greater risk takers too and most of the time they will get away with it.
#7
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I ride steel, but I don't feel that aluminum is a danger to clydes. I have seen a couple of catastrophic carbon failures caused by a combination of user error and what I assume were imperfections from the manufacturing process, but they were a decade ago, and I personally think that carbon forks on alloy frames are just fine for clydes. Probably carbon frames too, but I do not have any personal experience there to draw upon.
I would argue that a well made wheelset, trued by an experienced human with a spoke wrench and a truing stand, with decent quality hubs, is more important than the frame for those of us carrying a little (or a lot of) extra weight.
I would argue that a well made wheelset, trued by an experienced human with a spoke wrench and a truing stand, with decent quality hubs, is more important than the frame for those of us carrying a little (or a lot of) extra weight.
#8
Senior Member
I like and trust high grade Chromoly (Chrome Molybdenum) Steel frames. Here in the NW we have a lot of chip seal roads, steel frames just feels better to me riding on them. Also most of the time you can see a crack in steel before it brakes where in aluminum it’s catastrophic.
#9
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I ride older more durably made steel framed bicycles. I do this for two reasons. Firstly lower model frames from the steel era were made of heavier gauge materials and were thusly imbued by their cheapness with durability from some manufacturers. Secondly down model steel bikes were made of 1010 steel which is looked down on as cheap. The truth is the best riding bicycles I have ridden were all 1010 steel frames. 1010 steel is unalloyed, unhardened steel which means it is maleable and supple. This really reduces road vibration but raises the weight of the bicycle. For Tclong03 a lighter bicycle for competition is more suitable for your task at hand. There is no reliable evidence available on the internet to help you determine which frame/fork material to trust. Steel has the advantage of being a real world durable material with a long well understood history of how to make bicycles for specific purposes. The other materials appear usable but there are caveats to all materials and I advise doing a lot of research including the thoughts from this Forum thread.
#10
Registered User
Steel, carbon, and aluminum.
I have snapped 2 aluminum frames, each after 13,000 miles that were wimpy designs.
I have one alum frame that has lasted year after year and still going strong.
The carbon frame has about 16,000 miles and still going strong.
Any material will do you well if designed properly. Any frame of any material will fail if poorly designed.
I have snapped 2 aluminum frames, each after 13,000 miles that were wimpy designs.
I have one alum frame that has lasted year after year and still going strong.
The carbon frame has about 16,000 miles and still going strong.
Any material will do you well if designed properly. Any frame of any material will fail if poorly designed.
#11
Senior Member
Columbus Hyperion, Columbus SLX, Columbus AIR road bikes and Alan Carbon Cyclo Cross.
#12
Titanium and aluminum. All my steel frames broke.
#13
Registered User
Ha! My buddy bought a steel DeRosa back in 2000'ish for over $3,000 (Ultegra equipped). Weighing 200 pounds the frame snapped at the BB.
No warranty, had to pay to have the frame repaired then sold the bike.
Besides frame materials, one thing to consider is warranty. I have had 2 frames snap, free replacement no questions asked, free upgrade both times.
I don't worry so much about material but the warranty.
#14
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The first bike I ever bought new with my own money was a Raleigh Royal Export, I had been planning on a different bike that was 50% more expensive at the time using lightweight tubing but I was advised by the shop because of
my 16 stone weight to go for the heavier cheaper bike with unbutted straight gauge tubes with lower end steel. However when you read some forum postings it reads like people think all steel bikes are the same strength and when a frame is made as light
as possible it still has the same long term strength. However as I said before I still feel steel is the right material for a frame for heavier riders just because you normally get some warning of impending failure of the frame or forks which other materials
may not give you.
my 16 stone weight to go for the heavier cheaper bike with unbutted straight gauge tubes with lower end steel. However when you read some forum postings it reads like people think all steel bikes are the same strength and when a frame is made as light
as possible it still has the same long term strength. However as I said before I still feel steel is the right material for a frame for heavier riders just because you normally get some warning of impending failure of the frame or forks which other materials
may not give you.
#15
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My hybrid has an aluminum frame and rides just fine. My gravel/commuter/beater bike is a mountain bike with a steel frame. So far no issues either way.
#17
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I have a carbon frame. No problems. But I'm on the low end of Athena, so I'm under the limit for pretty much any adult-sized bike. I should probably stay off toddler bikes.
#18
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Three titanium (2 mountain and one road) and 5 aluminum. There just no room in my garage for steel.
All three of the titanium were made within 100 miles of me.
All three of the titanium were made within 100 miles of me.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#20
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I have a dozen bikes, most are steel, 1 carbon and two aluminum. Most are purchased used and I have only had one broken frame that wasn't crashed.
#21
I am 6' and 255lbs, I ride an old aluminum Specialized road bike and a really cheap mid 90's steel Norco. I am guessing the Norco is Cromoly as it is decently light, so not HiTen.
#22
Steel touring. Custom ti road.
#24
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6" 255 (been as high as 285)
I like steel, almost as much for how the bikes look as how they ride.
32 h rims and good 28mm tires (no matter what the frame material)
Current rides 85 Miyata team with modern 105 group, 84 Miyata team with 7400 friction and tubular, 82 Nishiki (bought new)
I like steel, almost as much for how the bikes look as how they ride.
32 h rims and good 28mm tires (no matter what the frame material)
Current rides 85 Miyata team with modern 105 group, 84 Miyata team with 7400 friction and tubular, 82 Nishiki (bought new)
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