The bicycle frame is its main structural element. It can be made of different materials with unequal quality and consumer characteristics. Let's consider all the options so that you can make a more balanced purchase.
Steel
This material is the most common. It is usually used in the manufacturing process of frames for children's models. The advantages of steel are its strength and low cost. But if you compare it with other materials, it repels a lot of weight.
Chromium Molybdenum Steel
This option is one level higher than the previous one. The benefits remain the same, but the weight is significantly reduced, which pleases cyclists.
Aluminum
The bicycle frame made of this material is strong and light due to its respective qualities. Products are made with pipes of large diameter and sufficient wall thickness. Such bicycles seem somewhat aggressive in appearance. Aluminum is widely used in the production of mining models belonging to the middle class and slightly higher.
Titanium
Titanium bicycle frames are durable and lightweight. But buyers are repelled by one factor - price. Such frames are more durable than aluminum and chromium-molybdenum versions, but rarely produce them. The fault is the complexity of manufacturing and the high cost.
Magnesium
Such an alloy is used relatively recently. Its novelty, strength and lightness attract. But the price also scares. This material is only gaining popularity, he is a beginner in this field of production.
Composites
This material is also considered new. For its production, different resins (fastening compounds) are used, as well as threads of Kevlar, carbon fiber, fiberglass. Combining all this, it is possible to achieve any characteristics that you can wish for. However, a bicycle frame made of composites will not withstand impacts and falls. This is a significant minus of the material, which can be called material of the future.
Special alloys
It should also be noted innovation, which appeared recently. These are special alloys with excellent characteristics. Their composition includes rare earth elements. These materials are superior in characteristics to titanium.
If we talk about the price that you have to pay, if you need a bicycle frame, then everything is relative. Steel options are recognized as the cheapest, followed by chromium-molybdenum ones. Aluminum is more expensive. But it is important to consider that any frame from any material is also unequal in price. For example, high-quality chromium-molybdenum is sometimes more expensive than bad aluminum.
The dimensions of bicycle frames also matter when choosing a vehicle. For example, if your driving style is aggressive, it is better to prefer a low frame. In any case, its height must also correspond to the height of the cyclist. Experts say that between the upper tube of the frame and the crotch of a person in the case of road driving should be at least two centimeters of free space. For off-road enthusiasts, this figure rises to five centimeters.
Thus, the bicycle frame is a part of the vehicle, which is important to pay attention to when buying an “iron horse”.