Materials Used to Build Mountain Bike Frames
The cost of a mountain bike frame is proportionate to its material, as well as the treatment that material has received. Currently, there are five types of material used in mountain bikes – high tensile steel, chromoly steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber. Oversized diameters, heat treating, and butting are tubing material treatments that will increase the cost of a frame as well.
High tensile steel is a very durable alloy that’s found in lower priced mountain bikes. It offers a high carbon content which makes it less stiff than chromoly steel, so more materials are needed to make it stiff enough for bicycle frames, which will in turn make it that much heavier.
Relatively inexpensive to produce, you’ll find high tensile steel in trail bikes, city bikes, and even entry level mountain bikes. There are some bikes that come with a chromoly seat tube, while the rest is high tensile steel.
Short for steel alloy, chromoly (chromoly steel) is best described by its major additives – chromium and molybdenum. This is probably the most refined framing material, giving over 100 years of dependable service.
Dependent upon the kind of heat treating and butting, you may see this material contained in bikes from as little as $400 dollars on up through and beyond $1500. The chromoly steel used in the manufacture provides excellent durability and a compliant ride characteristic.
Over the last fifteen years, aluminum continues to be refined essentially in a similar way as has been chromoly. There have been numerous alloys produced along with oversizing, heat treatment, and butting. Used on dual suspension bikes, aluminum is the desired material being the stiffest and most cost effective.
Aluminum is stiffer than chromoly, and therefore it will crack before chromoly. Of course, this depends on how you ride and how much abuse you give the frame. The advantages of aluminum is that the frame is very light and very stiff through oversizing or butting.
Although some folks consider titanium to be somewhat exotic, prices for titanium frames have dropped a bit in recent years. However, because of the extra time it takes to weld the tubes to the frame, titanium frames continue to remain relatively expensive.
Being an alloy, small amounts of aluminum and vandium are most commonly mixed with titanium giving it improved weldability along with enhanced ride characteristics. Titanium is more compliant than chromoly and offers improved fatigue and corrosion resistant attributes.
Regardless of the frame material you choose for your new mountain bike, a big factor determining its life and longevity is where you ride and your riding style. If you take care of your mountain bike and treat the frame with respect, most frame materials will last for years.
Mountain biking is a wonderful sport and will take you places you have never been to before. Now be sure you get back to where you embarked with a GPS Garmin Watch. The Garmin GPS Watch such as the Garmin Forerunner Watch is going to be sure you don’t get swallowed up by the wilderness you set out to conquer.
Article source:Slim Index