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Psychlo-x
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Frame Materials
Through many years of riding/ racing bikes, we have come to a few conclusions regarding the materials that make a great frame. In order for you to make an educated decision about what kind of bike you want, you need to know…
1. Your weight.
2. The kind of riding you want to do.
3. How often you want to buy a new bike.
4.
Your priority for total bike weight vs. durability.
Steel frames are very strong, however tend to be the heaviest of the frames out there. Steel is used for road and mountain bikes of lower quality. If you get a chip in your paint, it will rust. On the positive side, for road bikes, steel provides a smooth, vibration free ride. Over all, we do not recommend steel frames.
Aluminum is used for both road and mountain bikes of good to better quality. Aluminum is very rigid. The rigidity of aluminum on a road bike tends to transfer a lot of road vibration to the rider. For long road rides on an aluminum frame, you will fatigue easily. The rigidity of aluminum on better road bikes is dampened with the use of carbon fiber seat stay and front fork. Built this way, an aluminum frame can provide you with a very comfortable, long ride. On mountain bikes, the rigidity of aluminum is not a factor for comfort because of the suspension system. The main concern with aluminum is the welding of the manufacturer. Aluminum does not flex very much and the welded joints take a lot of stress, which are prone to fail. The stress needed to fracture a welded joint is not limited to big jumps, or crazy riding…strong, repetitive pedaling can be enough to fracture the weld joint at the bottom bracket. Over all, aluminum mountain bike frames are ok, but not highly recommended.
Carbon fiber, being the lightest material for frames, is incredibly strong. Carbon fiber is often considered the lightest and highest quality material for building bike frames. A great carbon fiber frame will ride virtually vibration free on a road bike. For road applications, there are no major concerns. New to the market is the use of carbon fiber in full suspension mountain bike frames. From what I have seen, the frames weigh a “little” less than titanium. For the pro racer…with sponsors who provide an endless supply of carbon full suspension frames…great!!! But, most of us do not fit into this category. The chink in the armor of carbon fiber is that it is very easy to damage, i.e. scratch or chip. Once a carbon fiber frame is scratched or chipped, the frame integrity has been compromised. Do not get me wrong…I love carbon fiber…on road bikes. At this time, we do not recommend carbon fiber for mountain bikes. In time, this weakness may find a solution. The average life span of a carbon fiber frame is only a few years.
Titanium is the optimal choice, in our opinion. Road, mountain, cyclocross; it does not matter what type of riding you do, titanium is the best frame material. For road… ride quality, comfort, and durability are unmatched on a titanium frame. In all cases, a titanium frames weighs only grams more than an equivalent carbon fiber frame. Mountain bike frames made of titanium are very durable. Those who are fortunate to ride a titanium frame have what is called a “lifer bike”. These bikes last, and always look great. You will go through several component change outs, and still have a great frame. If you want to make a one-time investment, go titanium…you will not regret the decision.
During the Custom Fitting process, the size and geometry of your ideal frame will be calculated. Our custom fitting process takes into account all factors needed to determine your correct frame size and geometry. If your body measurements, flexibility and riding goals indicate that you would benefit from a custom built frame, we will guide you through the process of ordering the correct fitting frame for you.