Carbon Vs Aluminum Bike Frame Mtb

Carbon comes in stiffer than aluminium so if you want a razor sharp ultra responsive ride then it s the best choice especially if you re a cross country racer.

Carbon vs aluminum bike frame mtb.

Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames. The aluminum santa cruz bronson frame sells for 1999 while the carbon cc version sells for 3299. Ride quality is more noticeable on road frames than mountain frames with vibrations being damped by carbon more so than aluminum. The transition smuggler aluminum frame sells for 1999 while the carbon version sells for 2999 a 1000 difference.

That begs the obvious question is a 1 5 pound weight saving worth the extra cash. Most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on carbon frames. Heat pressing drilling demolding de flashing finishing etc. There are four common materials used to build road bikes.

They are actually aluminum alloy frames made using various alloys of aluminum. 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. Mountain bike frames made of carbon are certainly more expensive than aluminium ones but for example carbon wheels can be almost 7 times more expensive than their alloy equivalents. Conversely carbon possesses the longest fatigue life.

Having said that bamboo is a legitimate bike frame material. Steel is an alloy titanium frames are already mentioned above. Let s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each material. The typical aluminum frame possesses a life expectancy of five to 10 years.

The vast majority of modern bikes however will be made from aluminum or carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a composite. But for enduro trail and downhill. Sometimes the choice can come down to the material the bicycle frame is made from.

For more info check out my carbon fiber vs aluminum frame guide. That s a 1300 difference. Most of the bikes ridden at world cup enduro world series level will be carbon although it isn t ubiquitous but it would be simplistic and maybe even wrong to say that carbon is objectively better. 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.

These joints are similar to carbon fiber. These are kind of a novelty at this point.