Carbon Vs Aluminium Vs Titanium Vs Steel: Which Bike Frame Material Is Best?

Bike frames can be made out of many different materials. The most popular of which are carbon fibre, steel, titanium, and aluminium. Each material has its benefits, and a dedicated following of fans. But which is actually best? We headed north from GCN Megabase to visit Ribble and ride their steel, titanium, aluminium and carbon bikes to find out!

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[gcn]

Which would you choose? Steel, Titanium, Aluminium, or Carbon? Let us know your preference, and why, in the comments below!

[jsmariani]

I had a Cr Moly framed bike which was hit by a car. the damage was significant although fixable. It needed a new grill, hood and bumper. the bike was fine.

[christophedecavalla]

The bare titanium frame on my bike looks and rides as good today as it did when I bought it back in 1995. Wish I could say the same about me.

[countspokeula]

"The principle different between them is..."

The wheels and tires.

[iagogonzalezalvarez]

I think these are the 5 guidelines to be comfortable on a bicycle.
First: Correct size and geometry. Saddle size, handlebar size, stem size, comfortable grips.
Two: Tire pressure, choosing a sweet spot between comfort and performance.
Three: Frame material and build quality.
Four: Some suspension system can be used.
Fifth: Cycling clothing and accessories, gloves, footwear ...
Riding on the same bike, simply varying the tire pressure, you can feel a bike very comfortable (minimum pressure) or very rough (maximum pressure).

[paceline]

Please give your camera people and editors a raise! Good show!

[RudiDwiHartanto]

Thiss feels a lot like Top Gear for Bikes. Excellent video! bunch of mates riding comparing bikes but in the end talking about different factors that can affect how you choose bike with a lot of considerations and perspective. Awesome GCN. Bring these kind of video back please.

[Adam-rmcm]

The production quality, filming, editing, writing, and general work on this video are just incredible. What an amazing video I really enjoyed it.

[whitting]

Still riding my titanium Ciocc Titan built in the 1990s. Love the smooth ride, light weight, and durability, plus the polished titanium frame looks gorgeous!

[Dooezzz]

23:53
Si: "Cyclocross!"
Alex: "I'm gonna ride on the gravel"
Ollie: "I can't clip in"

[ericthier]

Forget hypotheticals; I already voted in real life when I bought the CGR 725, spec'd 105, and upgraded the wheels/tires etc to shave some weight. First new bike purchase in twenty years ('02 Cervelo Soloist); as I hit my mid-fifties I want some steely comfort and a bike with a wide range of abilities. Quick glance at my calendar shows no races coming up for the rest of my life, and I'm definitely old school enough to buy into the "steel is real" moniker. Love the GCN videos and awesome camera work in this one, BTW.

[johndgt]

i had a titanium shovel in mid 90's, it was lightweight and firm and also wet soil didn't stick to the shovel blade during the garden work. :)

[jbjb]

I have 2 road bikes one with a carbon frame and a titanium frame. Both have Dura ace and high spec componentry. After riding both for a fairly long period of time I find myself always choosing the Titanium. It's super comfortable, I love the look of it, and it just feels Rock Solid.

[tommccafferty]

Finally an episode featuring Ribble bikes. An old English based company. I bought a Ribble Endurance SL R Disc for my 70th birthday in November 2019.

[seansurdovel]

I'm not sure steel got enough love in this video. I'm lucky enough to have steel, carbon, and aluminum bikes in my stable, and I can say without a doubt that if I had to choose and stick with one forever it'd be the chromo steel: comfort, versatility, strength, nimbleness, adaptability, and affordability all in one package. I know I'm being a horrible stereotype, but steel is due it's day.

In fact, I'd love to see a steel showdown happen on GCN. Take a budget, a commercial, and a boutique steel bike out for an extended spin, compare notes, and show us how much range this material has. Maybe also have the boutique bike's fabricator make some mods to the budget frame. That'd be one hell of a video.

[keithchristner]

This was a great video. Especially as a MTB'er looking for a gravel bike. So, on that note, I'd go Cro-Mo with alloy flat bars. I'd ride it in more rough stuff than on pavement, and the flex of a good set of alloy flat bars is fantastic at absorbing the trail vibrations that are generally too small to get absorbed by the squish.

[jaymacpherson]

My 1990 Mt bike is carbon fiber hard tail…I love it. It has nicks and become one with some road tar. It was broadsided by a car running a red (w me on it) that threw it up the road about 40 meters. No structural problem other than a freewheel sprocket got bent a bit. Around 2012, my 2nd pair of front shocks wore out, and I found that contemporary front shocks are a little longer to accommodate disc brakes. That raised the headset about 15 mm. For the next few years I would hear a faint crackling sound when I loaded up the headset. No sign of cracks or spiderwebbing, and haven’t heard that sound for years. Love that frame!

[tudidingsapparel]

Love the work of your cameraman. Such an astonishing video!

[jenmac]

well done boys. Production value is like that of a big hollywood movie. Superstars.

[DilanR]

Great show fellas. For me aluminium is my 2nd choice for price, workability and looks over steel and titanium. Carbon is my number 1 for looks, tuning and compliance as rail trails and fire roads are my favourite places to ride.
Thanks CGN for all your very helpful knowledge, I'm MTB and have decided on a carbon gravel bike next. I feel the need for speed and another Giant : )