Carbon Aluminum Bike Frame

The typical aluminum frame possesses a life expectancy of five to 10 years.

Carbon aluminum bike frame.

The density of modern carbon fiber is about 1 9 g cm 3 compared to aluminum which has a density of about 2 3 g cm 3. Ride quality is more noticeable on road frames than mountain frames with vibrations being damped by carbon more so than aluminum. Cannondale caad12 is a famously good aluminium frame aluminium was the leader when it came to frame material before carbon become more accessible. In many cases bike brands will offer both aluminum and carbon frame options to fit a range of riders budgets.

Aluminum mountain bike frames weigh around 1 pound more than comparable carbon frames. It s possible to build very light and capable bikes out of either aluminum or carbon. It s a relatively light and stiff material and. Types of aluminum bike frames.

Some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their aluminum frames but most offer five to 10 years. Aluminum is extremely popular for full suspension mountain bikes where its ability. Carbon fiber frames are lighter than aluminum frames because the material is less dense. The aluminum santa cruz bronson frame sells for 1999 while the carbon cc version sells for 3299.

Usually aluminum is mixed with silicon magnesium or zinc to make it stronger and more durable. That begs the obvious question is a 1 5 pound weight saving worth the extra cash. Carbon frames are usually a bit lighter than aluminum up to a pound for mountain frames and up to a half pound on road frames. Of the two 6061 is slightly better due to its lower weight.

That s a 1300 difference. The transition smuggler aluminum frame sells for 1999 while the carbon version sells for 2999 a 1000 difference. 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. Most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on carbon frames.

6061 and 7005 are the most common types of aluminum used for bike frames. The most common bicycle frame material aluminum is known for being corrosion resistant fairly light though typically not as light as carbon fiber and having a high strength to weight ratio. Carbon however rules supreme in this area. Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames.

When it comes to the strength to weight ratio few materials can come close to carbon fiber. A carbon frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminum equivalent.