Steel vs. Aluminum Frames

Is steel real? Are aluminum frames stiff? Are steel frames comfortable?

Here's the truth about frame materials and what actually matters in frame building.

Sources:

Ibis Cycles-Metallurgy for Cyclists:

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[unklebill]

magnesium, because you always move faster when you're on fire.

[Slidewinder]

Speaking of triangles one of the best things I've ever learned about frames and bike parts is this: Affordable Lightweight Durable, You can only pick two.

[littlegoobie]

glad you mentioned work hardening of aluminum. I've broken 3 frames by fatigue. 1 was a steel frame (fiori road frame), the down tube snapped about 2" above the BB shell. The other 2 frames were aluminum (Trek and Specialized) and they both broke at the seat tube a few inches from the BB shell. One important consideration is for rainy/snow riders, forget the steel stuff, aluminum is the only way to go unless you want to rust out the frame and have fun with bolts and parts siezed in the frame. The 6 or 7 year old trek broke just a few weeks ago when i was riding beside someone walking. We just had a good storm and i was pushing through 6-8" of plowed and stiff snow, i bogged down and gave the crank a good push and pow, I heard something snap.

[MatthewMenze]

I can see (and have experienced) the difference in ride of steel vs aluminum, but citing reliability as a reason when referring to a fixie used for urban commuting to shy away from Aluminum is silly. Compared to other genres of bikes, they live a very very easy life, and yet there is little issue with aluminum frame dirt jump, BMX, free-ride, or other bikes that get abused much more.

If your frame is breaking doing urban commuting, even from a crash, quality, not material, is to blame.

[Nicool]

I have a carbon giant tcr, a Masi single speed steel, and a lynskey titanium bike. All have somewhat similar geometry, and all are on 25c tires. The lynskey is hands down the best of the three. It"feels" livelier and has a very surefooted feel to it. While I can't isolate this to the frame material, it's seems to be the likely reason since I have felt similar characteristics from a friend's moots titanium bike. If you can drop the coin, I would recommend titanium for a life long bike.

[mikepeligro]

I live in a tropical country that is always raining. My 6061 aluminium mountain bike frame is good for these wet weather conditions because it doesn’t rust. I can also wash off the mud frequently when needed.
I replaced my seatpost and handlebar with carbon fiber materials. I also replaced my stock coil forks with an air fork.
The carbon fiber parts, aluminum frame, and air fork combination absorbs road vibrations really well. The ride is now lighter and comfortable than ever. The combination of different materials can make your bike comfortable and responsive

[BEEBEE]

I prefer steel, because, in my opinion, it absorbs bumps better, and the additional weight is a good thing. I actually use my bike as transportation, and often carry heavy loads. In my experience, the heavier the bike is, the faster it is. When my bike is loaded down with 30 lbs of groceries, it is actually faster than when empty. Acceleration is slower; however, the weight enables me to maintain my speed, with less effort.

[DEFKNIGHT]

I've recently gone from an Aluminum frame to Steel. Steel is definitely more shock absorbant. it rides over bumps much more smoothly than Aluminum. Aluminum is just harsh. They can be pretty damned light but their utter stiffness without any flex does make them less comfortable. They DO transfer power a little better, that is very noticeable, but in the street steel is faster because it gives. You can put down the power more readily, uninterrupted by road irregularities. I'll say this, out of the saddle climbing, Aluminum wins. But staying seated Steel wins.

[MrAyley]

Dat "ride more.... that will make you faster... also its free..." LMAO

[이동욱-vol]

i like steel(cromo) more than aluminum becuz steel frame can use 100 year and steel frame's thin tubing is so sexy

[IntetDreamer]

I have always enjoyed my feta cheese frame. It's not as strong as steel or Aluminum but you can't beat the weight.

[CompuChef]

Excellent video thank you. I have 4 steel and 1 titanium bike, I briefly considered getting an Aluminum bike for next year but have now changed my mind. Another thing to mention is that aluminum frames in general have the ugliest "chewing gum"welds and steel frames have much cleaner welds

[jonathankeith]

For me personally, I use steel for street, road and cruisers.
Aluminum for mountain.

If you're stranded on an island, I would recommend using bamboo for its flex.

[BEEBEE]

I love your commentary. You really cut through the bullshit, and just share your true thoughts. In contrast, many of the popular cycling channels clearly have relationships with the companies that supply the industry. In other words, they are being paid to promote the latest trends. I really hate such channels because they are not being honest. They make you feel like your bike is total junk, if it is over a year old, like the "new" technology has left you behind.

[brenmitch]

I'm a mechanical engineer with a masters degree and who works on orbital rockets and I like this video! You did a pretty good job of explaining the materials properties of fatigue, stress strain curves, elastic modules, corrosion, and all of that. Keep up the good work and you got a new subscriber!
Personally, I like a good lugged carbon bike for the mix of modern materials with traditional construction (from a biased Colnago C59 owner).

[thomassmith]

There's a lot of evidence that steel bikes are faster if you get one that flexes enough for your power output. Also steel is far less fatiguing and so you can ride faster for longer. The important thing is getting a thin, flexible frame. Of course thin tubing is no good for a street bike but if you want to go fast.. it has to be like that.

[nwimpney]

Sheldon Brown was way off about the steel being efficient because of its springyness. Yes, the energy is stored, but it reduces the peak force that gets to the pedals, and is returned at a time when it's not helpful.

[MrOtterdude]

I see this is an older video, but I'll comment. I ride both. I'm more of a steel frame guy, having ridden steel road bikes since 1974, but I was surprised when I bought a Klein. I found it to be as comfortable and lively as my Colnago, Fuso, Peugeot or Frejus steel frames! The lighter weight is also important, if you're competitive, but in that case, you'd probably go for carbon.

[gradyrigby]

Ive used my 2012 specialized hardrock as full time commuter and touring bike for the last 5 years. It has an aluminum frame and has never given me any kind of issue. I love my bike and fully intend to be using the bike as a full time commuter and touring bike 30+ from now. In all honesty it is not really about the material being used, it is a whole lot more the about the level of quality control and how well it is built. As long as you stick with a very reputable company the frame material really does not matter.

[aquiblakdawala]

Helped me to choose between alloy vs steel. I wanted to buy alloy and ready to spend some more bucks. But now i am going to buy steel one. Thank you from india.