Steel vs. Aluminum

Rabie wrote an article on Decline about this and he theorized that steel is east coast and alum is west side. Read it on the next upcoming issue. Insightful.

Ozzer said:

Rabie wrote an article on Decline about this and he theorized that steel is east coast and alum is west side. Read it on the next upcoming issue. Insightful.

Click to expand...

Ozz swoops in for the kill...

Seriously. We've been over this. Just buy the ToP...cause they're cheap...and hot.

I don't mean to flame but this should be in the Dj thread or the freeride thread

DH on a ToP or anything similar would suck ass.

The end.

If your going to DH on it go with a steel frame..
Why doesn't someone make a steel DH hardtail frame geometry=Long wheelbase & slack HA?.....Not these short stubby frames!

.243 makes that frame for you atomicfireball.

as for which one is stronger really neither. the steel will just be a little heavier. also your whole small bump absorption is BS. the pipes are way to thick on a dj/fr hardtail to get that. you will only see a little gain in an xc or a road bike because of the longer, narrower, and thinner pipes are able to flex and twist a little bit.

that being said i have an alum. fr/dh hardtail. though i do ride a steel xc bike

i feel a diffrence between steel and alu DJ hardtails, but then again, i'm 190 lbs. look for S-curved chain and seat stays for a softer riding steel HT.

hate to be argumentative but i doubt that you actually feel a difference. i have ridden both and i have you by about 70 lbs i can tell you that there is no discernible difference. it has lot more to do with the shape of the stays like you where saying. also the over all geo of the bike can make it feel like it is dampening the bumps, like longer chainstays make rear end bumps feel smaller because it will effect the crank height less. as for the material itself making a difference that is the question here, the answer is no)

Steel, all the way. I just came off an aluminum HT and I can tell a significant difference through teh rough with the steel, almost feels like it has an inch of travel and it feels much more solid.

There is so much material on these frames that I doubt most people would be able to tell a difference. Also, frame design, tubing choices and all the other equipment issues (tire pressure, bars, grips, suspension) will make a larger impact on ride feel than frame material.

Dumb question then, but if you're feeling the steel absorb shock when riding DH, wouldn't you also feel quite a bit of side to side flex when you're cornering?

ATOMICFIREBALL said:

If your going to DH on it go with a steel frame..
Why doesn't someone make a steel DH hardtail frame geometry=Long wheelbase & slack HA?.....Not these short stubby frames!

Click to expand...

voodoo shango.

I ride steel. Im getting rid of my Santa Cruz Chameleon so I can have another steel bike soon.

Surly Cross-Check
SWD Crazy 8

At some point SWD 6-Gun

bdamschen said:

Dumb question then, but if you're feeling the steel absorb shock when riding DH, wouldn't you also feel quite a bit of side to side flex when you're cornering?

Click to expand...

The eternal problem of frame design. For almost all types of riding, the frame builder wants vertical compliance for comfort and bump absorption (to a degree) and stiffness everywhere else.

The ToP is a good bike, you'd probably like it. I had a Chameleon for a long time, and it was a really sweet ride as well. I'd recomend it because it's so light.

Steel vs. Al is far more pertinent to XC bikes where you're seated more often. My Chameleon and Stumpjumper are waaaaay harsher than my Bontrager, but that's for XC stuff. I'm guessing you'll be riding with your seat really low for everything. So for you, the debate isn't a biggie, your knees will be doing a lot more bump absorption than the frame.

Steel frames usually crack, then bend, then snap, in that order, while aluminum frames suddenly crack and snap without warning. You probably won't be going through that many frames, but it is another issue to consider with an agressive style.

I personally notice a significant difference in frame material with DJ hardtails. I rode a P.2 (aluminum) for about 2 years, then switched to a Riot (steel). The riot definitely has a more dampened feel, not exactly like having suspension per se....but definitely noticeable. Almost a "dead" sensation, but not in a bad way. Definitely a preferrable feel for most kinds of riding...I think.

I also spent some time on a sinister DNA (aluminum) and that bike was downright harsh. Super responsive and stiff, but I felt EVERY little imperfection I rolled over and landed on, and it took a lot of gettng used to. I definitely wouldn't want it as a dj/street bike.

I think the main reason steel is used on DJ hardtails is because it tends to have better resistance to fatigue than aluminum which is good with repeated hits and cases when riding street and DJs.

For you personally I don't think there's a huge difference in feel or strength based on the materials. You're not a big guy and I don't think strength is much of an issue, and like many have said, on a jumping bike (which is already stiff) steel won't be a whole lot more compliant than al. I'd focus less on material and more on geometry, etc.

If I were you I'd be asking myself if it's really practical to buy a bike that isn't really going to excel at anything. For downhilll you will never be as fast on a hardtail as you could be on a FS bike, granted you may be faster than some who ride FS but you will never beat your own times on a hardtail. On the opposite end of the spectrum a hardtail is a great choice for XC because of their efficient power transfer, but you're not talking about buying a bike that will effortlessly climb and gracefully decend, you're talking about something that will make you sweat and burn to get to the top of a climb so you can bomb down the other side only marginally faster than you could on a full fledged XC bike. About the only place a burly hardtail makes sense is a bike park or at dirt jumps, which for the average cyclist makes up less than 10% of their total ridding. Anymore cost isn't really an excuse, you can find nice FS bikes used for about the same price as a nice HT, you can even find some acceptable FS bikes brand new for the same price as a good HT.

So if I were you I'd be asking myself, "do I really want a hardtail?" Not, "do I want steel or aluminum?" Just my opinion though, your mileage may vary.

steel

Aluminum

Aluminum sucks

W4S said:

Steel, all the way. I just came off an aluminum HT and I can tell a significant difference through teh rough with the steel, almost feels like it has an inch of travel and it feels much more solid.

Click to expand...

That's because you're riding a Moots softtail, no?

Sanjay would.

MD