Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike Frame Vs Aluminum

A carbon frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminum equivalent.

Carbon fiber mountain bike frame vs aluminum.

Carbon fiber doesn t dampen bumps or vibrations like steel or titanium can. When it comes to the strength to weight ratio few materials can come close to carbon fiber. Quality carbon fibre offers 2 to 5 times more rigidity than aluminium and steel of the same weight. In fact low end carbon frames have some undesirable characteristics associated with them such as a wooden and dead feeling.

Aluminum frames possess the shortest fatigue life of any material used to manufacture bicycle frames. When you re riding a carbon fiber frame that has been designed with this in mind you can add a tremendous amount of power to your ride by transferring this energy to the back wheel. No as aluminum has a grain structure that can propagate cracks if surface damage occurs. Just because a bike uses a carbon frame does not mean it s as good as bikes that are optimized and use quality carbon.

Less comfortable ride because the material is so rigid the ride may feel harsher. Ride quality is more noticeable on road frames than mountain frames with vibrations being damped by carbon more so than aluminum. The aluminum santa cruz bronson frame sells for 1999 while the carbon cc version sells for 3299. 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.

It s possible to build very light and capable bikes out of either aluminum or carbon. The transition smuggler aluminum frame sells for 1999 while the carbon version sells for 2999 a 1000 difference. You can pay anywhere from 1500 6000 for a carbon fiber bike frame. Most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on carbon frames.

The typical aluminum frame possesses a life expectancy of five to 10 years. But the stiffer doesn t always mean better even for competitive riders. Conversely carbon possesses the longest fatigue life. High failure rate carbon fiber frames are more likely to fail than steel aluminum or titanium.

That s a 1300 difference. Carbon however rules supreme in this area. Carbon fiber doesn t exhibit this type of crack propagation. While both aluminum and carbon bikes will offer a little bit of flex in this way carbon bikes will offer a far greater amount of power.

Yes as carbon is obviously a softer material than aluminum so damage can occur due to direct contact with rocks or the ground more easily. It has a significant meaning especially for cross country racers where the weight and stiffness will result in razor sharp ultra responsive ride.