Outdoors

Cycling is one of the first sports that people get introduced to and you can now buy bikes in all shapes and sizes. Steel is the most common material of choice but increasingly there are more options available these days. A very popular alternative at the moment is aluminium, which is even now being used in snowboards and surfboards. Lets take a better look at the qualities of aluminium and see how it compares to steel?

Strength. Generally speaking aluminium has around half of the strength that a steel frame possesses, which you might think would rule it out for sports such as downhill racing. However, because aluminium is a great deal lighter than steel (forty percent lighter) the frames can afford to have a greater circumference and thus almost rival the strength of steel. However, there are some occasions where the forces put on a bike frame require quite strong steel and aluminium just would not be suitable.

Performance. Steel is approx 1/3 more stiff than aluminum. You would think this would a provide an easier ride, but actually most cyclists report the opposite. Lots say that they get a more comfortable ride with steel bikes. Aluminium bikes do outperform steel bikes in some sectors such as road racing and hill climbing events due to their better weight but again, most choose steel for bike riding that requires great strength of frame

Cost. This really does vary on a number of factors, not least the quality of the steel. Although very costly, there a new steels that have been produced that maintain their strength, yet weigh close to what aluminum does. Also, as aluminum use becomes more widespread, is costs in lower end products is coming down. However, due to the fact steel is more readily available and is the standard for most new and second hand bikes, it is usually cheaper than aluminium.