Choosing the Best Mountain Bike Framing Materials
The cost of a mountain bike frame is proportionate to its material, as well as the treatment that material has received. Currently, there are five types of material used in mountain bikes – high tensile steel, chromoly steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. Oversized diameters, heat treating, and butting are tubing material treatments that will increase the cost of a frame as well.
High tensile steel is a very durable alloy that’s found in lower priced mountain bikes. It offers a high carbon content which makes it less stiff than chromoly steel, so more materials are needed to make it stiff enough for bicycle frames, which will in turn make it that much heavier.
Relatively inexpensive to produce, you’ll find high tensile steel in trail bikes, city bikes, and even entry level mountain bikes. There are some bikes that come with a chromoly seat tube, while the rest is high tensile steel.
Short for steel alloy, chromoly (chromoly steel) is best described by its major additives – chromium and molybdenum. This is probably the most refined framing material, giving over 100 years of dependable service.
Chromoly steel can be found in bikes from $400 on up to and through $1500 dollars, depending of course on the type of heat treating and butting used in the process. When used in the manufacture of mountain bikes, chromoly steel delivers great durability and provides a compliant ride characteristic.
For the past 15 years, aluminum has been refined in pretty much the same way as chromoly. There have been various alloys developed, as well as heat treatment, oversizing, and butting. With dual suspension bikes, aluminum is the preferred material as it’s the stiffest and most cost effective.
Since aluminum is stiffer than is chromoly, it can tend to crack before chromoly will. Factors such as how you ride and the abuse your frame sees determines whether or not this will be a concern for you. One of the major advantages to using aluminum in bike frames is that the bike is very light and very stiff through butting and oversizing.
Although some folks consider titanium to be somewhat exotic, prices for titanium frames have dropped a bit in recent years. However, because of the extra time it takes to weld the tubes to the frame, titanium frames continue to remain relatively expensive.
Titanium is considered an alloy, normally mixed with small amounts of vanadium and aluminum to give it better weldability and ride characteristics. More compliant than chromoly, it offers better fatigue and corrosion properties.
Regardless of the frame material you choose for your new mountain bike, a big factor determining its life and longevity is where you ride and your riding style. If you take care of your mountain bike and treat the frame with respect, most frame materials will last for years.
Mountain biking is a fantastic sport and will take you places you have never been to before. Now make sure you get back to where you started with a GPS Garmin Watch. The Garmin GPS Watch such as the Garmin Forerunner Watch is going to make sure you don’t get swallowed up by the wilderness you set out to conquer.
Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, fitness, Mountain Bikes, outdoors, recreation, sports
Related posts