On Sun, Mar 7, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Adam Maas <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes, Aluminum does do well for certain applications. But there's a > couple things I don't like about it, most due to my overall dislike of > stiff rides (as opposed to harsh rides, stiff is not harsh) and > longevity issues. Aluminum frames wear out as aluminum has a limited > fatigue life (unlike steel) and a compliant aluminum frame is more > susceptible to this than a stiff one. This is an issue for me as I > tend to keep my bikes long-term (My main ride is 12 years old and it > will still be in use after the Honky Tonk arrives) That said, for a > track bike or race bike where stiffness is a major win and limited > lifespan is not an issue, Aluminum does very well and provides a > lower-cost high performance alternative to Carbon (and without some of > the risks of Carbon)
One thing I'll say is that certainly aluminium is a compromise. If money were no object I'd ride CF. But for the cost, aluminium does very well. You're right about aluminium's longevity (or lack of it). It literally starts micro-cracking the moment it's put together. 3 to 5 years is the longest I'd ride one (meaning that my Fondriest is getting very long-in-the-tooth). For a messenger frame, which tends to have a short lifespan anyway, it's not such an issue, but for the average cyclist, it is something to consider. Steel frames last forever if treated well. Tubes can be replaced when damaged. For longer rides, steel would be my preference, which is why I'm currently putting together a road bike based on an old mid-nineties Marinoni lugged steel frame. It should be like riding a barcalounger compared to my trackbike. > I do wish that there was more DA on the bike than just the shifters > (the drivetrain is 9 speed Tiagra with a 105 RD), and yeah, the > weather is great, today's my 3rd day in a row on the bike and I'm > looking at a solid week of nice commuting weather. Until Thursday (high of +2C, wet snow/mixed precip - yuck!). Enjoy your commutes until then - I'll enjoy my job, that's for sure! cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
