Carbon Vs Aluminum Bike Frame Weight

Whilst it s possible to make a light bike out of either material when it comes to weight carbon definitely has the advantage.

Carbon vs aluminum bike frame weight.

Some say it s even better to buy a cheap carbon frame bike than an aluminum frame bike while others insist that cheap carbon frame bikes aren t worth your money and you should stick with metal in a tight budget. It is hard to pin down a hard and fast rule about how much lighter a carbon frame is compared to an aluminum one. In comparison an aluminum bike can get very close to that weight limit. Ride quality is more noticeable on road frames than mountain frames with vibrations being damped by carbon more so than aluminum.

But an aluminum frame wouldn t have come out of that crash in usable condition. For example a santa cruz bronson carbon frame may boast a 1 5 pound weight saving over the aluminum version while the carbon pivot switchblade might be 1 9 pounds lighter than the aluminum switchblade. The more butting the. When looking to purchase a new bike the question of choosing between carbon and aluminum alloy frame pops up frequently.

A carbon fibre frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminium equivalent and you ll only find carbon fibre bikes in the pro peloton in part because of the weight benefits. In general carbon fiber frames are lighter than aluminum frames. Carbon however rules supreme in this area. If the same accident results in a carbon fiber product snapping the product is often blamed.

The quality of the frame will ultimately determine weight. A carbon frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminum equivalent. It s possible to build very light and capable bikes out of either aluminum or carbon. Even if you re not a weight weenie a lighter bike can improve the riding experience.

A well built lightweight aluminum frame could weigh less than an inexpensive carbon frame. 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. In order to achieve a greater strength to weight ratio quality aluminium bike frames are butted. In order to create lightweight frames tube thickness is varied throughout the length of the tube.

The perception is that if an aluminum product is bent in a crash it s the fault of the crash. Great road bikes for under 1 000. When it comes to bike frames aluminium is alloyed with another metal.