geoinmillbrook said:
I liked this set of info the best/thought most balanced of any that I have read. Knowing something about metallurgy myself I tend to agree with most, even though, for now, I am riding an aluminum framed bikes
but maybe not for long.. even though I just finished building them up.. sorry for the length of what I posted from the site, I just found it all pretty useful...
here's another heavily slanted view, which is, at least, very entertaining:
http://www.henryjames.com/faq.html
I'm an 80s guy who loves steel as much as anyone, but since everyone now seems to think they have to have a carbon bike, I've found myself becoming a bit of an aluminium crusader.
Those guys neglected to mention that stiffness is often a
desired characteristic, and does not necessarily provide the intollerable "harshness" that they mention. I recently got rid on my all-alu BMC frame because I found it too flexy! Imagine that!
They also forgot to mention that new steel frames usually cost a tonne more than alu, especially the custom jobs they make themselves, and that the new lighter tigged steels, such as Spirit, etc, is (from my understanding) nowhere near as strong or easy to repair as the older, thicker, lugged stuff. So, to get all the 'true' benefits of steel that they're espousing, we'd better clunk around on our 1900g lugged SLX and 531 frames
Them dudes also overstate the "a bike is for life" thing. I don't know anyone in the high-end buying category who plans to keep their frame for 10 or 20 years. Most of them are always keen to update to the latest 'best' thing.
If I may bleat the obvious: aluminium is almost impossible to beat for cost, rigidity, weight and "rustfreeness". Alu frames around here are plummeting in price since all the weight weenies became obsessed with carbon. Maybe the new Columbus steels and Reynolds 953 will catch up a bit in the weight and stiffness area, but it looks like they're gunna be uber expensive
I was devasted
p) when I found rust inside the bottom bracket shell of my favourite 531 frame, so, after spending $1700 on my Cervelo Superprodigy frame, I find myself hardly ever riding it because I'm scared of getting it wet.