Aluminium or Steel? Any advice?

sleuthey

Hi Guys

Its my first time on this forum, but here goes....

Im buying a budget dual suspension mountain bike, just for riding around the lanes on a Sunday afternoon. I'm thinking of buying one off Ebay for around £150 brand new. I don't want anything decent as I'm not competitive. I just want something which I can throw away in a few years when it wears out and if somebody nicks it, it doesnt matter all that much!

I have 2 options: High tensile steel or Aluminium. What I'd like to know is what are the pros and cons of each? Is there any difference at that price?

I'm also faced with the option of having Rapid Fire Shifters for a little extra money. If I went for one with 21 speed Gripshift and Shimano Tourney deralliers, would I need to upgrade the deralliers when upgrading the shifters?

Thanks in advance!

supersonic

For riding around the lanes, avoid dual sus! Go for a hardtail which will be lighter, better specced and last longer. Dual sus is heavily compromised at this price: awful pivots, extrememly heavy, undamped and poorly designed frames.

Have a read of the beginners bike thread in the beginners section on tips.

passout

Yep...stick a rigid or hardtail. Avoid rear suspension for such usage and price range. The rear suspension will slow you down.

If you do go ahead with your plan, then go for aluminium. It's lighter & suits rear suspension. It's also better for hardtails in my opinion.