Bicycles are fun wherever you put them at. Learning to ride one on my own was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Watching a race is an exciting sport as well.
Besides the fun part, it is very useful as well to get from place to place. But a sport bike is not the same as the bike you used to ride to school. That’s obvious. But why are they different?
In short, they are made different. I mean, literally. In this article, we will discuss carbon fiber vs. titanium vs. aluminum frame for bikes.
So, sport bikes are different from everyday bikes because they are made different. What I meant there is they are actually made different, from different materials.
The bikes get the perks and quirks of the materials they are made from. Thus, when buying a new bike, it is useful to know about them before committing to something specific and having to regret it later.
Aluminum Frame
Aluminum is one of the most popular choices in terms of materials to make bike frames out of. The reason being aluminum is lightweight, durable, and decently strong. As I mentioned before, just like other materials, aluminum also has its pros and cons. Let’s take a look –
Pros
- Aluminum is relatively lightweight
- It is corrosion resistant
- It has a high strength-to-weight ratio
- Reasonably affordable
Cons
- Aluminum is tricky to repair and weld
- It tends to age faster
- It is very stiff. More rigid than most other materials
So, what do all these means? It means that aluminum is very rigid. It will handle tough situations handily. For saying, It won’t bend or break easily under fairly high pressure or problematic environment.
Aluminum is known for its resistibility from water and air. This makes aluminum a great option where it rains frequently and a lot. Another remarkable characteristic of aluminum is that it is lightweight.
Lighter than most other metals used to make a bike out of. So, it will be easier to carry an aluminum bike around than, say, titanium. But at the same time, it will be able to take a beating before even bending, let alone cracking.
However, as strong as it is, aluminum does age faster, meaning it will become weaker over time faster compared to other options. The material simply becomes fatigued and eventually breaks after a couple of years of usages. Also, it is trickier to weld or repair an aluminum bike when it does end up breaking.
Aluminum is stiff. Thus, it won’t really absorb much of the vibrations caused by the small bumpiness of the road. So, you should either ride it on the roads, or ride for a not-very-long time or have an iron hip.
Overall, a good choice to go for if you are planning to use the bike for a season or two especially if you are new to biking and not sure what to settle for.
Titanium Frame
Titanium is another great option, especially for custom model bikes. Titanium is very strong as a metal. It is not the strongest, but it surely is close to the top of the list. Even though it is a rare metal and tougher to process, it is still fairly popular. Titanium is fairly costly as well. In terms of benefits and drawbacks –
Pros
- Titanium is corrosion resistant
- It is decently lightweight
- Highly customizable
- Titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio among metals
Cons
- It is costlier than most other options
- Fairly heavy
In short, titanium is more so for the hobbyists than either the absolute beginners or professional racers. Since titanium has the highest strength-to-weight ratio, it is able to carry a decent amount of pressure.
It is resistant to the elements like water, air, and heat. And it does not age fast as aluminum does. This makes for a long-lasting bike. To put the cherry on the top, it is highly customizable. So, you can make the bike of your choice and call it a day for the next ten years.
When I said it is suitable for hobbyists, I meant the people who enjoy riding one and do so regularly. That’s because it does cost a bit too much to buy one, use for a couple of seasons, and throw it in the storage. But not enough to make it unaffordable.
On the good side, you do not need to have an iron hip to ride a titanium frame bike off-road. The metal will absorb most of the bumpiness on its own, making it the perfect candidate for off-road bikes or even mountain bikes.
Carbon Fiber Frame
Carbon fiber is the name frequently heard when someone needs a lot of strength without ramping up the weight. It is one of the top-notch choices to make a bike out of. Carbon fiber bikes are the lightest yet strongest among the bikes that are seen on the road on a day-to-day basis. Carbon fiber pretty much runs the meta in professional sports.
Pros
- Carbon fiber is extremely light
- It has the highest strength-to-weight proportion
- Highly customizable
- Durable and long-lasting
Cons
- Carbon fiber is expensive
- Not very easy to repair
As I mentioned above, carbon fiber is the best choice to go for if you want quality. It is the strongest material in this list, as well as available in the market. Carbon fiber is also the lightest one. Meaning if you have to lift your bike and walk for a while, you won’t feel the pressure as you would if you had a titanium bike.
Carbon fiber is not a meal. It is more like cloth. Fibers of carbon are used to weave into sheets. The sheets are then fixed together to turn it into a rigid piece of material.
Since it is not a metal to begin with, it does not have the weaknesses metals have in common. It does not corrode at all due to humidity, wetness, or left exposed to heat or water vapor. And the fact that it can be shaped as wanted is the finishing touch of a fine piece of art.
All these mean that if money is not an issue for you, carbon fiber is by far the best choice for materials. Carbon fiber bikes dominate international races. That’s because it is the highest quality product money can buy you.
Among the downsides of carbon fiber, It is not the most rigid item on my list. They do crack under heavy pressure, and when they do, it gets ugly. The integrity of the structure falls apart fast, and let’s just say, it is not the best material to repair. Therefore, a bad injury can prematurely call an end to the lifespan of the bike.
Final Thoughts
Carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum, the three materials I compared here, are all great options in all honesty. The deciding factors are all minor details. None of them has any particular defect that would be a deal-breaker.
In the end, it comes down to personal preference, budget, and the environment the bike is to be used in. While either of the three could survive any situation, you could throw it in, they would truly thrive in the situation they do not have a weakness in.
For example, aluminum bikes are perfect for the city, while a titanium bike would outperform it easily off-road and mountain areas. Carbon fiber bikes will outperform both of the two in any situation as long as you can afford and take care of it. And that concludes our article on carbon fiber bike frame vs. titanium vs. aluminum frame.
Also read- Best Hybrid Bikes Under 500 in 2020 – Reviewed & Guideline By Expert
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