4 ms·

My 2 cents, steel is better, I've had wrist issues with an aluminum bike that I just don't get with the steel one. It seems to dampen and absorb the high freque

by dsego 8y ago

My 2 cents, steel is better, I've had wrist issues with an aluminum bike that I just don't get with the steel one. It seems to dampen and absorb the high frequency vibrations.

toxik 8y ago
The real solution to vibrations is a thoroughly damped bike, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39uwTykTQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39uwTykTQk -- it features some next-generation thinking in its spring system.
Fricken 8y ago
I'm loyal to steel because of it's stiffness. It's almost twice a stiff as the next best material, and 20x as stiff as wood, according to the chart in the article. So I don't think wood is for me.
halbritt 8y ago
Generally speaking this stiffness is the result of the tube shapes necessary to achieve similar strength and stiffness of a steel frame while weighing less. A perfect example of this is the Cannondale CAD3. It had a massive downtube and huge (straight) seat stays as well. It was extraordinarily stiff and terribly unpleasant to ride, for most. Cannondale improved that to some degree by using S-shaped seat stays on the CAAD4 making the frame a less-efficient conductor of vibrations. Modern aluminum bikes use hydroformed tubes with optimized shapes and shouldn't really have these problems. Unless you're talking about something with an aluminum fork. That's just a cheap bike. Aluminum forks are terrible.
- specialist 8y ago
  "hydroformed tubes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WpGsJKVhZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WpGsJKVhZY Thank you. I kinda always wondered how bike frames were made. This is really cool.
- johnvanommen 8y ago
  It's rare to see a fork that's NOT aluminum. Even "carbon forks" are typically aluminum forks covered in carbon. Source : I've shortened a lot of forks.
  - halbritt 8y ago
    Eh... Most steerer tubes are aluminum for exactly the reason that you've shortened a lot of forks. In the field, Joe Mechanic is less likely to screw up an aluminum steerer vs. a carbon one. As to what's rare, hell if I know. Aluminum forks are fairly common on low to mid-tier bikes and the cheap ones tend to suck.
- dsego 8y ago
  Yes, I'm talking about a cheap frame with an aluminum fork.

by dsego 8y ago

My 2 cents, steel is better, I've had wrist issues with an aluminum bike that I just don't get with the steel one. It seems to dampen and absorb the high frequency vibrations.

toxik 8y ago

The real solution to vibrations is a thoroughly damped bike, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39uwTykTQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N39uwTykTQk -- it features some next-generation thinking in its spring system.

Fricken 8y ago

I'm loyal to steel because of it's stiffness. It's almost twice a stiff as the next best material, and 20x as stiff as wood, according to the chart in the article. So I don't think wood is for me.

halbritt 8y ago

Generally speaking this stiffness is the result of the tube shapes necessary to achieve similar strength and stiffness of a steel frame while weighing less. A perfect example of this is the Cannondale CAD3. It had a massive downtube and huge (straight) seat stays as well. It was extraordinarily stiff and terribly unpleasant to ride, for most. Cannondale improved that to some degree by using S-shaped seat stays on the CAAD4 making the frame a less-efficient conductor of vibrations. Modern aluminum bikes use hydroformed tubes with optimized shapes and shouldn't really have these problems. Unless you're talking about something with an aluminum fork. That's just a cheap bike. Aluminum forks are terrible.

specialist 8y ago
"hydroformed tubes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WpGsJKVhZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WpGsJKVhZY Thank you. I kinda always wondered how bike frames were made. This is really cool.
johnvanommen 8y ago
It's rare to see a fork that's NOT aluminum. Even "carbon forks" are typically aluminum forks covered in carbon. Source : I've shortened a lot of forks.
- halbritt 8y ago
  Eh... Most steerer tubes are aluminum for exactly the reason that you've shortened a lot of forks. In the field, Joe Mechanic is less likely to screw up an aluminum steerer vs. a carbon one. As to what's rare, hell if I know. Aluminum forks are fairly common on low to mid-tier bikes and the cheap ones tend to suck.
dsego 8y ago
Yes, I'm talking about a cheap frame with an aluminum fork.