Alloy Vs Aluminum Bike Frames

So if alan farroll is in the market for a new bike he can be reassured that an alloy frame is going to be an alu alloy.

Alloy vs aluminum bike frames. However in bike marketing terms a steel alloy frame would be billed as steel or chromoly. Very few entry level mtbs are made of steel alloy and if they are the. Most city bikes are built on either steel frames or aluminum frames and which one you pick will impact the quality of your ride and the life of your bike. Mid to high end steel frame bikes can weigh less than 25 lbs while a low end alloy frame bike might weigh 35 lbs.

Most bike frame manufacturers use an alloy of either steel or aluminum to craft the frame. Good quality road bikes use butted aluminum frames single double and triple butted to achieve a better strength to weight ratio. Aluminum is cheaper to produce than carbon and is usually alloyed with other metals. An alloy is a metal that is mixed with other elements to improve the metal s characteristics.

It s still lightweight compared to other metals and stiff. In its raw state aluminum weighs one third as much as steel of the same volume. Read on for the how and why and we ll help you navigate the materials market. Carbon frames are usually a bit lighter than aluminum up to a pound for mountain frames and up to a half pound on road frames.

Alloy is generally used to denote an aluminium alloy. A well made alloy frame may weigh less than a steel frame but this is not always the case.