The cost of a mountain bike frame is equally proportionate to the material used, as well as the type of treatment that the material has been given. right now, there are four classes of materials used for mountain bikes – aluminum, titanium, high tensile steel, chromoly steel, and carbon fiber. Adding to the cost of the fame are other treatments including (but not limited to) oversized diameters, heat treating and butting.

High tensile steel: This is a highly dependable alloy that is found in the bottom priced mountain bikes. It has a high end carbon composition which makes it less rigid than chromoly steel, as a consequence more materials are required to make it rigid enough for
bicycle frames, which will in turn make it that muchheavier.

Very inexpensive to manufacture, you can find this material in trail bikes, city bikes, and even entry level mountain bikes. There are some bikes that are availiable with a chromoly seat tube, while the rest is high tensile steel.

Chromoly steel: Short for steel alloy, chromoly is better defined by its chief additives – chromium and molybdenum. This is maybethe most refined framing material, giving over a hundred years of reliable service.

Depending on the type of heat treating and butting, you can find this material in bikes as low as four hundred dollars and all the way up to $1,500 and much more. The chromoly steel material affords extremely good strength and a compliant ride features.

Aluminum: For the past fifteen years, aluminum has been refined in much the same method as chromoly. There have been diverse alloys generated, as well as heat treatment, oversizing, and butting. In conjunction with dual suspension bikes, aluminum is the preferred material as it’s the stiffest and most cost effective.

Aluminum is even stiffer than chromoly, and as a result it will crack before chromoly. Undoubtedly, this depends on how you ride and how much abuse you give the bicycle frame. The advantages of aluminum is that the frame is very light and very stiff through oversizing or butting.

Titanium: Even thought it’s somewhat exotic, the prices for titanium have come down over the last few years. Bicycle frames made of titanium continue to be expensive for the reason that it takes longer to weld the tubes into a frame. Titanium is considered to be an alloy, typically mixed with fine amounts of vanadium and aluminum to give it much better weldability and ride attributes.

More compliant than chromoly, it offers more beneficial fatigue and corrosion properties.
The material you decide on for your bike, all will depend on where you ride and what style you use. Mostly all materials will last you for a while, just make sure you take care of your bike and treat the frame with great respect.

The material you decide on for your bike, all will depend on where you ride and what style you use. Mostly all materials will last you for a while, just make sure you take care of your bike and treat the frame with great respect.

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