Carbon Fiber Vs Aluminum Bike Frame

The vast majority of modern bikes however will be made from aluminum or carbon fiber.

Carbon fiber vs aluminum bike frame.

It s a relatively light and stiff material and generally cheaper to produce than carbon. Most bamboo bikes are made by starting with strong bamboo poles then binding the joints together with fiber and resin. In general carbon fiber frames are lighter than aluminum frames. Uv damage is essentially non existent to reputable brand s carbon frames.

Sometimes the choice can come down to the material the bicycle frame is made from. A well built lightweight aluminum frame could weigh less than an inexpensive carbon frame. Aluminium was the leader when it came to frame material before carbon become more accessible. The quality of the frame will ultimately determine weight.

Even then current carbon fiber is very strong and a large impact force would have to be sustained enough to badly dent an aluminum frame. Well like comfort aesthetics are quite subjective and in any case beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. In truth if we tested the strength of the same frame built from carbon and aluminum you would see that carbon fiber frames are much stronger per pound in terms of both stress tests and impact tests. There are four common materials used to build road bikes.

In order to create lightweight frames tube thickness is varied throughout the length of the tube. These joints are similar to carbon fiber. Having said that bamboo is a legitimate bike frame material. Luckily damage to carbon frames can usually be repaired whereas re welding or patching a cracked aluminum frame is not safe.

At the same time aluminium framed bikes are enjoying a huge resurgence and for good reason. Unlike aluminum the production of carbon bikes is labor intensive and requires specialized molds and machinery. Carbon bikes are more expensive than aluminum bikes. Most bike frames will be made of either steel titanium aluminum or carbon fiber steel and titanium are the most popular options for custom and handmade bike building.

For more info check out my carbon fiber vs aluminum frame guide. Steel aluminium titanium and carbon fibre and the material can influence the ride and purpose of the bike so it s good to know the key differences before you make a decision.