[polartrekker]

I heard from a friend (an ex-BMXer....pee wee league) that CroMoly frames were the best bang for your buck when it comes to strength and price. Seems like most bikes are aluminum or some blend of aluminum and titanium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Ken in KC]

Subjective.

I heard from a friend (an ex-BMXer....pee wee league) that CroMoly frames were the best bang for your buck when it comes to strength and price. Seems like most bikes are aluminum or some blend of aluminum and titanium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Which frame material is "best" is highly subjective and depends on more factors than simply the material. Any current frame material can be manufactured to exhibit desirable (or undesirable) characteristics depending on the frame design, the manufacturing practices and the skill of the welder.

There is no "best" material. It all depends on what you're looking for in a bike.

Ken

 

[ssissy]

i prefer steel

I heard from a friend (an ex-BMXer....pee wee league) that CroMoly frames were the best bang for your buck when it comes to strength and price. Seems like most bikes are aluminum or some blend of aluminum and titanium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

all my bikes are steel and i wouldnt have it any other way.

 

[applegreenheckler]

If I were to go with a hard tail again it would be steel. Jamis makes some really nice ones that range from $899-3400 for complete bikes. If you are looking for frame only take a look at Surly

 

[edouble]

same here...

all my bikes are steel and i wouldnt have it any other way.

voodoo bizango, jamis dragon and curtlo advanced mountaineer. all steel.

 

[Maida7]

I heard from a friend (an ex-BMXer....pee wee league) that CroMoly frames were the best bang for your buck when it comes to strength and price. Seems like most bikes are aluminum or some blend of aluminum and titanium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

It used to be true that cro-mo frames were the best bang for the buck. Back then almost all aluminum frames were not welded. They were luged frames. Lugs are heavy and expensive because each frame size would need diferent lugs. These days low cost lightweight welded alumium frames are commonplace. With decent steel tubesets becoming rare and limited to higher end frames alumium is today's best bang for the buck.

Although there are going to be many exceptions

 

[Warp]

I heard from a friend (an ex-BMXer....pee wee league) that CroMoly frames were the best bang for your buck when it comes to strength and price. Seems like most bikes are aluminum or some blend of aluminum and titanium. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Maybe for a BMX bike or a jumping one where you would prefer it to bend before it breaks.

Steel is/was too flexy for suspension MTB's and for some areas like the BB. You need to add more steel to the area to make it less flexy but then your weight goes up. Aluminum does this job better.

Steel is more difficult to manipulate than Aluminum as the presses, matresses and stuff used to shape it requires to be of a greater capacity as steel is more resistant than Al and requires higher temperatures at all processes (like welding, treating, etc).

That's why Al gives the bang-for-the-buck on the gross of MTB's today.

As for which is "better" is like asking if you prefer Mercedes or Ferraris....

 

[Guital2]

Just FYI the Jamis dragon is an identical frame to the zion 853......

 

[Walt Dizzy]

That's the problem!

"Steel is more difficult to manipulate than Aluminum as the presses, matresses and stuff used to shape it requires to be of a greater capacity as steel is more resistant than Al and requires higher temperatures at all processes (like welding, treating, etc)."

I've been using a Posturpedic for shaping the tubes, no wonder I can't build a decent frame!

Walt