Cheapest/Lightest Aluminium Bike?
What is, realistically, the lightest aluminium bike you can get? Would it be cheaper than a carbon fibre equivalent at the same weight?
What's the cheapest lightweight aluminium road bike available? It's weird how you, generally, pay more to buy less when it comes to road bikes. :? I need something very light but very cheap.
What's the cheapest lightweight aluminium road bike available? It's weird how you, generally, pay more to buy less when it comes to road bikes. :? I need something very light but very cheap.
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light and cheap tend not to mix. it might be useful to get a clearer idea of your bike's intended use - plus a better understanding of exactly why it needs to be so light..?0
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You'll find plenty of reasonably priced aluminium frames these days - something like a Ribble Scandium can be bought for about £250 when 8 years ago, frames of that spec were selling for in excess of a grand. The downside of lightweight alloy tubesets is that they tend to be fairly stiff and not very durable, so don't expect a lifetime warranty.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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softlad wrote:light and cheap tend not to mix. it might be useful to get a clearer idea of your bike's intended use - plus a better understanding of exactly why it needs to be so light..?
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
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I'm not goign to answer any of your questions, but aren't the two Cervelo Team frames a good alu/carbon comparison?
I think the alu weighs about 400g more.
Not that i own or have any knowledge of the specific bikes, but was just intrigued recently...http://www.KOWONO.com - Design-Led home furniture and accessories.0 -
Underscore wrote:softlad wrote:light and cheap tend not to mix. it might be useful to get a clearer idea of your bike's intended use - plus a better understanding of exactly why it needs to be so light..?
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
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That's Keith Bontrager :P0 -
the lightest frameset might not end up being the lightest bike ...
when cannondale had their 'legalize my cannondale' campaign on the go the light wieght of the bike had everything to do with their in-house ultra lightweight bottom bracket and cranks and not alot to do with the framesets themselves ...0 -
i agree with Monty - bang for buck the ribble scandium frames take some beating.
frame for £250 (ribble cycles)
veloce group for £246 (merlin cycles)
fulcrum 5 wheels £142 (merlin cycles)
+ finishing kit and you would have a good, lightweight bike for under £7500 -
octav wrote:Underscore wrote:softlad wrote:light and cheap tend not to mix. it might be useful to get a clearer idea of your bike's intended use - plus a better understanding of exactly why it needs to be so light..?
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
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That's Keith Bontrager :P
It certainly was!0 -
gkerr4 wrote:i agree with Monty - bang for buck the ribble scandium frames take some beating.
frame for £250 (ribble cycles)
veloce group for £246 (merlin cycles)
fulcrum 5 wheels £142 (merlin cycles)
+ finishing kit and you would have a good, lightweight bike for under £750
wouldn't you be better spending £250 more and getting the planet x with some DA parts though?
building a bike up from scratch is not better value at the low end of the market, but is much better value at the top-end (unless you get a huge discount on a complete bike which is entirely possible at this time of year).0 -
wildmoustache wrote:gkerr4 wrote:i agree with Monty - bang for buck the ribble scandium frames take some beating.
frame for £250 (ribble cycles)
veloce group for £246 (merlin cycles)
fulcrum 5 wheels £142 (merlin cycles)
+ finishing kit and you would have a good, lightweight bike for under £750
wouldn't you be better spending £250 more and getting the planet x with some DA parts though?
building a bike up from scratch is not better value at the low end of the market, but is much better value at the top-end (unless you get a huge discount on a complete bike which is entirely possible at this time of year).
hmm - my money would still go on the self build.
the planetx frame won't be anywhere near as light as the scandium frame (950g frame weight) and OK you get DA parts but so what? - it's not a full groupset and you won't get anywhere near as good wheels as the fulcrum 5's + saving £250 which isn't a small amount of cash. (plus I'd rather have campag veloce than DA to be honest)
or this £250 could get you better wheels or finishing kit to reduce weight even further.0 -
The Planet-X frame will be between 1040g (small) and 1210g (X lge), the model B wheels seem superb to me, and are lighter than the Fulcrums. DA Shifters and mechs seem worthwhile to me. Chances are the build would be lighter than a self build of the same price.0
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Orbea had an all alu frame called Arin that weighted in at 920g, probably small or medium. When it was still new like 3-4 years ago, it costed around £1500. I don't think you can easily get those anymore, especially new ones. but it is lighter than like 90% of the carbon frames out there at half the price. i imagine the ride would be very punishing though. not sure about their reliability either.0
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gkerr4 wrote:wildmoustache wrote:gkerr4 wrote:i agree with Monty - bang for buck the ribble scandium frames take some beating.
frame for £250 (ribble cycles)
veloce group for £246 (merlin cycles)
fulcrum 5 wheels £142 (merlin cycles)
+ finishing kit and you would have a good, lightweight bike for under £750
wouldn't you be better spending £250 more and getting the planet x with some DA parts though?
building a bike up from scratch is not better value at the low end of the market, but is much better value at the top-end (unless you get a huge discount on a complete bike which is entirely possible at this time of year).
hmm - my money would still go on the self build.
the planetx frame won't be anywhere near as light as the scandium frame (950g frame weight) and OK you get DA parts but so what? - it's not a full groupset and you won't get anywhere near as good wheels as the fulcrum 5's + saving £250 which isn't a small amount of cash. (plus I'd rather have campag veloce than DA to be honest)
or this £250 could get you better wheels or finishing kit to reduce weight even further.
Ribble's scandium frames are from what I've heard nowhere near 950g.
I'd be willing to bet that a nude P-X carbon frame will on average be lighter than a ribble scandium frame of the same size.
DA shifters and rear derailleur are the two most important parts of the group in terms of upgraded performance from Ultegra etc.0 -
As an aside alu also has a limited fatigue life, meaning one day it will go crack.
I find high-end alu dead compared to high end carbon and I ride and own both0 -
octav wrote:
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
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That's Keith Bontrager :P[/quote]
Popularly attributed to Keith but actually coined by Mel Allwood, bike guru ex of Brixton Cycles. Keith is a regular visitor (and friend) to the shop when he's over. Was so impressed by Ms Allwoods turn of phrase that he passed it on liberally and somewhere its stuck as being his. But it aint.
8)\'You Come At the King,You Best Not Miss\'0 -
Croxted Avenger wrote:octav wrote:
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
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That's Keith Bontrager :P
Popularly attributed to Keith but actually coined by Mel Allwood, bike guru ex of Brixton Cycles. Keith is a regular visitor (and friend) to the shop when he's over. Was so impressed by Ms Allwoods turn of phrase that he passed it on liberally and somewhere its stuck as being his. But it aint.
8)[/quote]
I said it in 1992 ... does that count also?0 -
I dunno - did you say it to Keith Bontrger in 1992? If so then its clearlys yours and still not Keith's.\'You Come At the King,You Best Not Miss\'0
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even so - the px frame is double the price and the OP was asking about lightness for the money - i.e. a bang for buck. at double the price, the frame still (IMO) does not measure up in terms of 'lightness-for-buck'
as for the DA shifters - yep they are top-line shifters but terms of upgraded performance over ultegra - who can tell? - blind test them I would doubt that many people would genuinely notice the difference between ultegra and DA.
i've not weighed a scandium frame but I have held one from the rack in the shop - it was certainly comparable to my s-works carbon frame which is no heavyweight itself.
i'm not saying that the PX deal isn't good value - it's cracking value and there are many happy customers on this forum to show that the bike is a good one.
but again, to answer the OPs request - the build I have given will be of a similar weight but 25% lower in cost. (it might not have the same ride comfort etc as the carbon PX - but that wasn't asked for in the OP)0 -
gkerr4 wrote:even so - the px frame is double the price and the OP was asking about lightness for the money - i.e. a bang for buck. at double the price, the frame still (IMO) does not measure up in terms of 'lightness-for-buck'
as for the DA shifters - yep they are top-line shifters but terms of upgraded performance over ultegra - who can tell? - blind test them I would doubt that many people would genuinely notice the difference between ultegra and DA.
i've not weighed a scandium frame but I have held one from the rack in the shop - it was certainly comparable to my s-works carbon frame which is no heavyweight itself.
i'm not saying that the PX deal isn't good value - it's cracking value and there are many happy customers on this forum to show that the bike is a good one.
but again, to answer the OPs request - the build I have given will be of a similar weight but 25% lower in cost. (it might not have the same ride comfort etc as the carbon PX - but that wasn't asked for in the OP)
we'lll have to agree to disagree. because ...
a frame has to be built up ... unless it's going to hang on the wall... your £750 bike is IMO considerably inferior to the P-X £900 offering and the difference in cost will, for most, justify going for P-X
i haven't ridden either of those two frames but my experience is that carbon rides better than alu ... on the flat there is not much in it, but a well-made carbon frame wants to go uphill a bit more and gives a smoother ride IME.
I have ridden ultegra and DA (not veloce) and am confident I could tell the difference in a blind test (say on the turbo .. blindfolded!) Moreover DA is actually better made ... different alloys, bearings in jockey wheels rather than bushings etc. etc.
In lightness for buck I suspect the p-x would come out at least 500g lighter than your £750 build and possibly nearer 1kg.
that said, your build is a still a bargain.0 -
actually - we're not that far off and not really disagreeing - the PX is a great deal i'm not disputing that.
I'm not overly convinced that DA is 'that' much better than ultegra - but I will take your word for it (seeing as I am a campag man - you are experienced in shimano) and in many ways the fact that DA is considerably more expensive than ultegra makes the case for the PX bike even stronger - there is no doubting that it's a great bike for the money (and a good bike in general)
but..
it's still 33% more expensive than the build I suggested =- which for the money would be a very light bike indeed and is more comparable to, say, an allez sport which would be £50 more at £799 and only have tiagra shifters and cheap wheels. I'd go as far as to say it would be as well specc'ed as the "£200 more" trek 1.7 - and still have better wheels than those crappy BontySSRs too!
so to summarise, in my opinion - if the OP has £1000 then I agree he should go for the PX - but if he/she doesn't have £1000 then there are good self build "bang for buck" builds to be had.
can we agree on that?0 -
Seems reasonable to me
You can get aluminium frames that weigh under 1000g. The Orbea Arin is close to that weight, and is still in the catalogue. Columbus and Deda both have super light aluminium tubesets, but they are not common as they can be a bit fragile.
Is the Kiron Scandium available as a frame only? That could do the trick. Otherwise, just look for a reasonably cheap frame made from Columbus Zonal.0 -
wildmoustache wrote:Croxted Avenger wrote:octav wrote:
Strong, Light, Cheap - Pick any two.
_
That's Keith Bontrager :P
Popularly attributed to Keith but actually coined by Mel Allwood, bike guru ex of Brixton Cycles. Keith is a regular visitor (and friend) to the shop when he's over. Was so impressed by Ms Allwoods turn of phrase that he passed it on liberally and somewhere its stuck as being his. But it aint.
8)
Said with a wink by many wits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_triangle0 -
a word of warning is not to trust manufacturers weights ... especially on stuff that is being sold as super-light IME. I know the ribble frames come out well over stated weight ... no idea on Orbea.
I have a spesh s-works E5 alu frame and it comes in at about 1170g for a 54cm which is not bad ... certainly light enough for a light build. that said, it doesn't want to go as much as a good carbon frame does.
the p-x has been available for £899 at times I think. ... that is a great deal.0 -
gkerr4 - I agree with you that the OP should do a self build, but the Ribble Scandium frame is 300, and comes without a fork (80 ish for a cheap on?), so that adds quite a lot onto your build.
Ive just done a self build on a CAAD 8 bb30 frame i managed to get for under 300, and padding it out with a SRAM Rival groupset, Red Shifters, low end ( as cheap as I could find type thing) finishing kit and cheap, secondhand wheels, I am only just coming in at a tad under 750, even with the super deals I got on a lot of items.
@wildmoustache the Allez E5 frames really good, but theyre quite hard to get hold of.....0 -
Bhima wrote:What is, realistically, the lightest aluminium bike you can get? Would it be cheaper than a carbon fibre equivalent at the same weight?
What's the cheapest lightweight aluminium road bike available? It's weird how you, generally, pay more to buy less when it comes to road bikes. :? I need something very light but very cheap.
Couple more ideas - in terms of frames (from heaviest to lightest "approx") - check out:
Ribble 7005 SL (Sloping)
Kinesis Racelight TK
Planet X Team Alu (when it's back in stock??)
Kinesis Racelight RC 2
Ribble Deda EM2 (read up on "reliability" for "light-tubesets")0 -
alwaysOTB wrote:gkerr4 - I agree with you that the OP should do a self build, but the Ribble Scandium frame is 300, and comes without a fork (80 ish for a cheap on?), so that adds quite a lot onto your build.
Ive just done a self build on a CAAD 8 bb30 frame i managed to get for under 300, and padding it out with a SRAM Rival groupset, Red Shifters, low end ( as cheap as I could find type thing) finishing kit and cheap, secondhand wheels, I am only just coming in at a tad under 750, even with the super deals I got on a lot of items.
@wildmoustache the Allez E5 frames really good, but theyre quite hard to get hold of.....
Hmm - you are right there - I just checked - they used to do an SC61.10A with sloping or horizontal top tube for £250 - (this was without the carbon stays)
so yes - I guess your best bet would be the EM2 at £301.75 as you say - and also (apologies) my build needs to add £80 for a set of forks. sorry.0 -
gkerr4 wrote:alwaysOTB wrote:gkerr4 - I agree with you that the OP should do a self build, but the Ribble Scandium frame is 300, and comes without a fork (80 ish for a cheap on?), so that adds quite a lot onto your build.
Ive just done a self build on a CAAD 8 bb30 frame i managed to get for under 300, and padding it out with a SRAM Rival groupset, Red Shifters, low end ( as cheap as I could find type thing) finishing kit and cheap, secondhand wheels, I am only just coming in at a tad under 750, even with the super deals I got on a lot of items.
@wildmoustache the Allez E5 frames really good, but theyre quite hard to get hold of.....
Hmm - you are right there - I just checked - they used to do an SC61.10A with sloping or horizontal top tube for £250 - (this was without the carbon stays)
so yes - I guess your best bet would be the EM2 at £301.75 as you say - and also (apologies) my build needs to add £80 for a set of forks. sorry.
Hang on ... that means you're nearing £900 gkerr
Planet X it is !!
Does the £80 fork have a carbon steerer?0 -
yes - after all that - you are right - even I will concede that £100 is a no-brainer for the PX
the £80 fork I was looking it was a carbon steerer and listed as 365g which i pretty decent.0 -
That is a good weight and price for a carbon fork.
Thanks for conceding the point graciously ... a first on an internet forum. you should receive some mark of recognition.0