Hello everyone, welcome to the new issue of trifox cycling.

Common materials for Bike Frame are generally carbon fiber, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, steel or a mixture of these materials (such as the titanium alloy joint + carbon fiber tube frame mentioned in the previous article). These different materials will have different properties and will affect the cost, comfort, weight, strength, rigidity, durability and more of the frame. However, while materials are important, I would like to reiterate the importance of frame design and manufacturing process. Those mentioned above are the most common materials we see (although there are no bicycles made of wood, bamboo, etc.)

If you’re starting with frame materials and planning to pick a bike, here are some things to consider:

Weight: Each material has different strength properties, fatigue curves and impact resistance. When you choose, you have to make a trade-off, weight is only one aspect of it, if you are sensitive to weight and looking for performance, then lightweight materials are your first choice. However, if your goal is to be strong and durable. Can carry you and your dreams to walk all over the country, then weight should obviously not be your primary criterion.

The function of the bike: This is a topic that every rider can’t avoid, don’t get carried away, think carefully about whether you need it or not before deciding whether it is necessary to buy it or not. If your bike is for racing, a rigid, lightweight bike is ideal and narrows down your material choices for you. Conversely, if you’re planning a long ride or traverse, and you’re going to be in the car for a long time and carry a lot of luggage, durability will be a priority. Again, this narrows down the options for you.carbon fibre bicycle

Where you ride: While your location doesn’t affect your choice of frame material, framesets，consider things like steel frames that can rust when exposed to humidity for long periods of time. Therefore, at this time, the aluminum frame will be more suitable for those wet areas, and at the same time, it can provide characteristics close to the steel frame. Will it be your lifelong companion: All materials will fatigue over time, but some will come a little faster than others. Steel frames can rust if you’re not careful, but they’re also more durable than aluminum frames in the long run. Carbon fiber and titanium alloy frames are extremely resistant to fatigue, so they are also the most durable.

Budget: Everything mentioned above needs to be established within your budget, which is also the biggest factor affecting what car we buy. For mainstream brands, titanium alloy frames are undoubtedly the most expensive, followed by carbon fiber frames, followed by aluminum and steel frames. Of course, there will be more expensive options out there, but it’s boring to be honest (you can find steel frames that are more expensive than carbon fiber frames, or titanium frames that are cheaper than carbon frames).

Finally, depending on your budget, choose what you can afford.