Zarnoff Bike Blog
25Aug/100

Mountain Bike Frames – Different Materials For Different Applications

The cost of a mountain bike frame is directly related the material used in its construction, as well as the treatment that the material has received.

Currently, there are five types of material used in mountain bike frames - high tensile steel, chromoly steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber.

High tensile steel is a very durable and inexpensive alloy that's found in entry level mountain bikes. It features a high carbon content which makes it less stiff than chromoly steel, so more material is needed to make it stiff enough for a frame, which will in turn make it that much heavier.

Chromoly steel or more commonly know simply as chromoly, is best described by its major additives - chromium and molybdenum. This is probably the most refined framing material, giving many years of dependable service. Depending on the type of heat treating and butting, you can find this material in bikes of all price ranges. The chromoly steel material offers very good durability and a compliant ride characteristic.

Aluminum has been refined pretty much in the same way as chromoly. There have been various alloys developed, as well as heat treatment and butting. Aluminum is a light material, so some frames are available in an oversized in diameter to increase stiffness without adding much to the overall weight. A dual suspension mountain bike frame is often made with aluminum, since it's generally the stiffest and most cost effective.

Titanium frames remain expensive because it takes longer to weld the tubes to the frame. Titanium is considered an alloy, usually mixed with small amounts of vanadium and aluminum to give it better weldability and ride characteristics.
More compliant than chromoly, it offers better fatigue and corrosion properties.

Carbon fiber is a man made composite material, and is extremely light, strong and stiff. The frame can be custom designed to increase strength in specific areas, and reduce weight in others. A carbon fiber frame was used initially for the professional level sport rider, due to their initial high cost, but they are now available on more everyday bikes.

The material you choose for your bike, all depends on where you ride, what style you use and how much you are willing to pay.

Almost all materials will last you for years, as long as you take care of your bike and treat the frame with some respect.

1May/100

Framing Materials

Framing Materials

The price of the mountain bike body is proportionate to
its substance, as well as the procedure that stuff
has received.  Currently, there are 5 varieties of
material employed in mountain exercise bikes - increased tensile metal,
chromoly metal, light weight aluminum, titanium, and carbon
fiber.  Oversized diameters, heat treating, and butting are
tubing product remedies that should increase the
charge on the frame as effectively.

Big tensile metal
This is a incredibly resilient alloy that's found in lower
priced mountain cycles.  It offers a increased carbon written content
which can make it fewer stiff than chromoly steel, so
additional elements are required to help it become rigid enough for
bicycle frames, that'll in turn cause it to that a lot
heavier.

Relatively low-cost to produce, you will locate this
substance in trail exercise bikes, city exercise bikes, and also entry
amount mountain bicycles.  There are a few motorcycles that occur
using a chromoly seat tube, although the rest is high
tensile steel.

Chromoly steel
Brief for steel alloy, chromoly is ideal described by
its significant additives - chromium and molybdenum.  This
is probably probably the most refined framing product, giving
around 100 a long time of dependable assistance.  

Depending on the type of heat treating and butting,
you are able to uncover this stuff in cycles as lower as 400
dollars the many way up to 1,500 and beyond.  The
chromoly steel product provides really good durability
and a compliant journey characteristic.

Light weight aluminum
For that past 15 many years, aluminum may be refined in
fairly considerably the identical way as chromoly.  There have
been different alloys created, as effectively as heat
procedure, oversizing, and butting.  With dual
suspension cycles, light weight aluminum could be the desired product
as it's the stiffest and most price useful.

Light weight aluminum is stiffer than chromoly, and so it
will crack just before chromoly.  Naturally, this depends
on how you ride and the amount abuse you give the body.
The advantages of aluminum is that the body is quite
light and extremely rigid through oversizing or butting.

Titanium
Even believed it really is somewhat exotic, the costs for
this stuff have appear down above the very last handful of several years.
Frames designed of titanium stay pricey simply because it
requires lengthier to weld the tubes for the frame.

Titanium is considered an alloy, normally mixed with
little quantities of vanadium and light weight aluminum to give it
superior weldability and trip characteristics.  A lot more
compliant than chromoly, it delivers greater low energy
and corrosion properties.  

The materials you pick for the bike, all is dependent
on exactly where you journey and what type you use.  Practically
all elements will previous you for years, as prolonged as
you consider care of the bike and deal with the frame with
some respect.

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