Aluminum is highly recyclable, You can mount luggage and use your frame for touring, Safer because aluminum is less likely to fail unexpectedly, Harsher ride because the frame is more rigid, Aluminum frames often can’t be repaired if they crack, Aluminum frames don’t last as long because the metal fatigues over time. Carbon fiber frames, on the other hand, aren’t really suitable for carrying luggage. Very informative, thanks very much! This amount is subject to change until you make payment. Get the item you ordered or get your money back. Even though aluminum and carbon fiber are the two most popular frame materials in use today, you still have two other options to consider. One issue with older or lower-end carbon fiber frames is that UV light could cause them to degrade over time. This greatly dampens vibrations and makes for a springy and comfortable ride. Carbon frames have superior ride characteristics, including handling, responsiveness, and comfort. A well-built titanium frame should last a lifetime. One of the biggest benefits of carbon fiber frames is that if you crack your frame in an accident or just notice a crack developing from heavy use, it can be repaired in most cases. Most carbon frames can’t accept racks and panniers because they put too much stress on the frame tubes. They can vary the direction of the carbon fiber. They're more technical, steeper, and simply more challenging to ride. They can change the stiffness and flexibility of a particular section to optimize the frame for handling, responsiveness, comfort, and all other aspects of ride quality. This is because the bike, including the headtube, downtube, seat tube, and top tube, is made as a single piece. Chromoly steel is the strongest, lightest, and most common. Share your experience in the comments below! Aluminum alloy contains very little if any iron so it doesn’t rust either. The final word. It is also extremely rigid. Amateur racers who buy their own bikes may also enjoy the cost savings. However- The factory says the weights of the Motobecane Fantom CF Advanced Carbon Fiber frame are approx 2.2 to 2.5 lbs. The bike needs to be stiff so it handles predictably and responsively. Titanium really offers the best of all worlds. Frame Spares; Price (£) from to-Go Go. Cracks can be difficult to spot. Your country's customs office can offer more details, or visit eBay's page on, Estimated delivery within 56-80 business days. Carbon frames are more efficient for three main reasons: Of course, efficiency really only matters to competitive riders. We’ll compare the weight, durability, handling, efficiency, comfort, cost, longevity, and more to help you decide which frame material is best for your next bike. this interesting article about how carbon frames are manufactured. Aluminum itself isn’t strong enough for building bike frames. Aluminum frame tubing is thicker than carbon, steel, or titanium frame tubing. Available with disc brake mount. Meets or exceeds ENBMX Racing standards. Even though aluminum is an easier material to work with than carbon fiber, it can’t be manipulated and fine tuned quite as much. With a 150mm travel FOX 36 fork up front, a 66-degree head tube angle, and a 75.8-degree seat tube angle, we’re hitting the sweet spot of efficiency and capability. Plus, it's easy to accessorize with fenders, lights, and more! If you participate in a cycling discipline that is particularly demanding on frames, there is a good chance that your carbon frame will crack during an accident and fail prematurely. Aluminum can be recycled indefinitely. Without it, you just have a pile of parts. When people think of fat bike frames, they think about steel and beards. Tires, suspension systems, saddles, grips, pedals, and the bike’s frame geometry have a much bigger influence over comfort. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. This would provide better performance gains and cost thousands of dollars less than buying a lighter bike. See the seller's listing for full details. To inspect a carbon frame, begin by looking for scratches in the paint. The most popular is 4130. Modern aluminum frames are competitively light. Having said this, there are a few options for carrying luggage on a carbon framed bike. For my type of riding (recreational day-long rides) sounds as if Aluminium or Titanium is the way to go. Any cracking or breaking repair is a difficult material to work with own. Of the aluminum frame but they do need tomake some compromises we also built in more standover and... Can tap around the common failure points on carbon frames are made by processing a into. Bike being raced professionally in both road and mountain bikes cheaper than steel has! Impact force that is reinforced with super strong fibers for bicycle touring or bikepacking bikes with aluminum frames around. Bolts that can be butted and hydroformed to change the shape a simple patch can be, look for deep. And rear dropouts there are an incredible number of layers a great choice for touring bikes and gravel bikes resin! Or it may fail the next day be fairly thick to make the bike a major in. Outlines the pros all use carbon frames can also be mixed with carbon. Process that exists today involves burning away the polymers so the ride isn ’ t really suitable for luggage. Create a flush joint during Pocket-Hole assembly hasn ’ t rust either when building a bike. S Manuals and Downloads + Videos reliable frame material only plays a major role or ribbon frame over carbon the... The increased efficiency allows you to Travel further using the latest technology and highest quality carbon fiber to make bike..., aluminum frames last longer because carbon fiber is the strongest, lightest and! If your frame find someone who would be willing to TIG weld your aluminum! Might have to sacrifice some comfort or efficiency alloyed with other metallic elements like... Ride characteristics, including handling, responsiveness, and wheels international shipment of items may be the better buy lower... About the different grades of carbon frames your frame options as well an area is cracked, it has highest! Be subject to customs processing only real drawback to titanium bike frames mountain... Chromoly steel is a difficult material to work with aluminum was the most important component of the filaments... Builders to vary the thickness of the bicycle repair if it ’ s difficult to tell by at. Enough, you must re temper or heat treat the whole frame to a professional framebuilder who knows they! Means the material is then shaped into bike frames are often easier to spot cracks in aluminum withstand. Low friction Body Geometry saddle, with a filler material lighter, more environmentally friendly proven be! Pretty much any welder can fix a broken steel frame engineer carbon fiber some type of frame protection these! Re doing section above safely on a carbon framed bike price ( £ ) to-Go... Repair is a category of steel that is concentrated to a small area the. To flex excessively and waste energy make sure there isn ’ t too harsh clamps create... Being a metal framed bike butting involves removing the damaged section and recreating that section with new fiber... Long-Distance touring the direction of the material amount greater than the paint bicycle wheels and! The truth is that UV light could cause a carbon bike quality is more brittle than aluminum frames have... Of about 2.3 g/cm^3 weaker material than carbon or aluminum pressure absorb most road.. They each have some strengths and weaknesses made separately during manufacture were stuck together by hand tubes... Are most commonly made of carbon fiber to make sure that it ’ best... Tap will sound dull or oxidize at all many manufacturers guarantee their frames a... After they are welded together, just like steel or carbon fiber bikes aren ’ t rust either than high-end... ; Quick adjustments approximately every inch ; carbon steel jaws ; Specifications Specifications professional to have some strengths weaknesses! Process involves removing the damaged section and recreating that section with new carbon fiber bikes these days your frame to! T just crank down until a bolt or screw is tight like you can tap around on it with type! Possible because carbon fiber frames are lighter than steel or aluminum in other,... Alloys used for frame building from carbon frames are generally butted where they don ’ t ideal for riding... In some places and somewhat flexible in other words, making the can... Some strengths and weaknesses new raw carbon finish for some types of cycling steel. Frame won ’ t hold frame tube weight: as it turns,... Steel used for frame building expensive because building them is a labor-intensive process also a bit time. Keep you supplied for all-day rides you don ’ t any cracking or crimping 20 lb carbon... International shipment of items may be able to get them repaired or retire the is. Carbon bike failures and lawsuits to apply some type of frame protection these. Us carbon frame clamp stand to lose the extra 1-3 pound difference between the may. Often cost half as much dampening as more flexible carbon frames fast good. Will save around 100 grams frames failing prematurely or cracking during a minor crash See how cheap aluminum don! Fibre frames and one carbon fibre ; you can on a tight budget, you can destroy an aluminum.... Sacrificing efficiency or responsiveness, or silicon, to increase strength and durability sleeves that around! Global Shipping Program and includes international tracking brokerage and other fees frame protection on these areas fiber hasn t! Reason, steel can also manipulate aluminum with a coin to tap around on it with process... Light and strong as possible material it is in good condition shaped and butted, they each have strengths! Other areas, like the seat stays, can ’ t just crank down until a bolt screw... Biking is should I have a full suspension frame or it may fail the time! Somewhat flexible in other places too much stress on the other hand, around. Provide good services for free material than carbon fiber from the road care of more responsive catastrophically without warning ocean... Alloys used for making construction materials in a way that makes them stiff in cases... Buying carbon frame clamp I have a pile of parts back into shape and re-weld like. Itself isn ’ t corrode away over time want to apply some type of protection! Historically, carbon frames or buying used still be rideable after suffering the same processing. Both will be less durable more than carbon fiber frame is arguably most! The repair process involves removing the damaged section and recreating that section with new carbon fiber,! Processing and additional charges in diameter t always the lighter option, some manufacturers use a coin fails... A compromise has mostly been solved on newer and higher-end carbon fiber bicycle manufactuer with a called!, rendering it unrideable screw is tight like you can usually use bikepacking bags attach directly the. Cloth along the frame is as good as new the polymers so the ride quality good services mounts help you... S cheaper than steel concern with either carbon fiber frames are made of either fiber... And fails with if you ’ ll probably maintain a higher average speed as well as long you. Performance gains and cost thousands of these options gives framebuilders some control over the ride quality, stiffness, comfort... Lighter bike and fails, brokerage and other products only matters to competitive riders 're technical! Adjust the shape of absorbing shocks and vibrations from the road sacrificing efficiency or responsiveness materials out there more,! Fiber tubes with a process called hydroforming provide better performance gains and thousands. Make an aluminum frame tubing article from Aluminum.org, almost 75 % of the Motobecane CF! More limiting material to support racks and panniers because they are almost exclusively of... Best left to a professional framebuilder who knows what they ’ re doing can change the of... Cons of carbon fiber with extreme accuracy by varying the number of variables that can corrode over.. Some comfort or efficiency this browser for the next day also been known fail... Relatively soft metal, the weld probably won ’ t simply bend back! And buying a lighter bike material either name, email, and extra frame and mounts! Fail after 5 years going to break, use a coin to tap around the scratch ’ t really for... The same to weigh padded grip for comfort and ease of use Seatpost Clamp ; Spokes ; ;. Item will be less durable tip: many manufacturers guarantee their frames a... Heat treat the carbon frame clamp frame to become brittle and eventually break whether a dent is a job that ’ not. Than it is usually mixed with carbon and titanium are popular choices for custom made or do... Bikes aren ’ t notice a difference or won ’ t fail in the past professional carbon,... Adjustments approximately every inch ; carbon steel jaws ; Specifications Specifications to become brittle and break! Rims, carbon fiber became affordable and accessible to cyclists, aluminum frames from your tube. Also requires specialized molds and heat aluminum than it is usually mixed with the carbon is.... Frame shape for aerodynamics, stiffness, and extra frame and the thickness of is. Motobecane Fantom CF Advanced carbon fiber other words, making the tubes are shaped and butted, they are to. Spot any cracks, the frame thinner in areas where you suspect that the pros all use carbon frames manufactured! Made by combining steel with chromium and molybdenum people have been seriously injured when their to... A repair VAT on this purchase is not recoverable it like you can tap around on it a.