Low grade aluminium

Ace_rimmer1 said:

I've had a bike for a while and it was a cheap one so I took it into a shop to get advise on upgrade options and was told I needed to buy a new bike as my frame was made of very low grade aluminium and is dangerous, obviously he's gonna try and sell me a bike but is there a difference in aluminium used in the frames & where if anywhere would I find a clue as to the material used in the frame.

The bike is a Supertrak Panther (can't find any details)
markings are
Mega oversize
aluminium formulator 1290

To be honest I love the look of the frame and the size and as I'm 6'4" and it feels very sturdy for me but the gears and brakes are pants, the gears are always jumping and the chain comes off the brakes are so bad I might as well use sponge for brakes, the shop I took it to also said the gears are fake shimano.

Anyone help a noob

Cheers
Ace

There are different grades of aluminum. I am sure that yours is a low grade (heavier, less responsive, harsher riding), but I highly doubt that it is dangerous.

If you are on this forum then you like riding bikes, and if you like riding bikes, you deserve a better bike than what you have. The cost associated with bringing your current frame to a higher level of performance with a decent gear/shifting system and new brakes would be more expensive than that would be worth it. You are better off getting a replacement bike. You can get an entry level major brand bike (Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc... for a few hundred US dollars. Alternatively, used bikes are plentiful and a decent used one would be a big step up from your current ride.

I would say that low-grade alu is usually heavier, and therefore less likely to bust than a sub-1400g frame, but we haven't seen it -- can you post some pics?

I would say low grade aluminum is cheaper to draw into tubing, more tolerant of sloppy welding, and doesn't need any heat treatment. I doubt that the material itself indicates a dangerous bike if it hasn't been damaged.