Compare Carbon Aluminum Bike Frame

Carbon frames are usually a bit lighter than aluminum up to a pound for mountain frames and up to a half pound on road frames.

Compare carbon aluminum bike frame.

There are four common materials used to build road bikes. Sometimes the choice can come down to the material the bicycle frame is made from. It s a relatively light and stiff material and. When considering bikes at an equal price point an aluminum bike will generally have a nicer component spec than a carbon bike.

However you should mark the word equivalent. Bicycling bike frames biking carbon bike frame carbon fibre vs aluminum carbon fibre vs aluminum vs steel vs titanium cycling i love cycling. Cannondale caad12 is a famously good aluminium frame aluminium was the leader when it came to frame material before carbon become more accessible. 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. The transition smuggler aluminum frame sells for 1999 while the carbon version sells for 2999 a 1000 difference. 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. Aluminum mountain bike frames weigh around 1 pound more than comparable carbon frames.

September 9 2020 by. The components factor greatly into how well a bike performs. The aluminum santa cruz bronson frame sells for 1999 while the carbon cc version sells for 3299. A carbon fibre frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminium equivalent and you ll only find carbon fibre bikes in the pro peloton in part because of the weight benefits.

It s possible for aluminum frames to be built by machine but carbon fiber layup is still done by hand. That s a 1300 difference. A lower grade carbon for instance comes with plenty of fillers. A carbon bike is generally lighter than an aluminum equivalent.

Both carbon and aluminum come in different grades. Carbon fiber frames are lighter than aluminum frames because the material is less dense. Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames. It s worth noting that not all carbon fibre is equal and it s possible that a low grade carbon frame could weigh more than a high end aluminum frame.

The density of modern carbon fiber is about 1 9 g cm 3 compared to aluminum which has a density of about 2 3 g cm 3. Conversely carbon possesses the longest fatigue life.