steel vs aluminium frames

bmca2010

im currently using a aluminium frame for the daily commute and travel along a few bits of road which are in a bad way, cycling hard along these bits is pretty bone shattering. so the question is if i buy a steel frame and build it up with the bits from my current bike will i have a more comfortable ride?

davis

Probably. But I'd have thought much cushier tyres and simply avoiding the lumpy stuff to be a better (and far easier) solution.

walkingbootweather

There are big variations between aluminium frames and between steel frames so it is not so simple as saying steel is better than aluminium or vice versa. I prefer that little bit of flex that a good steel frame can give, but it is a personal thing.

Swapping tyres and installing a carbon fork could make a huge difference to your current ride.

UndercoverElephant

My Steel frame is definitely more comfortable than the aluminium one, I use the same tyres on both. A carbon seat post makes a real difference on the aluminium one as well.

unixnerd

A lot depends on the geometry. I have both and to be honest there's a difference but not a massive one.

What size tyres are you running and a what pressure?

bmca2010

yea there is no doubt tyres make a huge difference, im currently running 28's, at about 100 psi, they are armadillo's which are wildly regarding as being a ruff enuff ride, but hard to beat for puncture protection

unixnerd

My 28s on the steel framed tourer give loads of road noise if I run them at 100psi. 90 works much better.

UndercoverElephant

I run 23c at 130 PSI, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask.

daviesee

It probably depends on design & geometry more than material per say but personal experience is this:-

My steel road bike on 24mm tyres @ 110 psi is more comfortable than my alu winter bike on fat 38mm tyres @ 70 psi.

But then my steel bike was 6 times the cost of the winter bike.....

itboffin

bmca2010 wrote:

im currently using a aluminium frame for the daily commute and travel along a few bits of road which are in a bad way, cycling hard along these bits is pretty bone shattering. so the question is if i buy a steel frame and build it up with the bits from my current bike will i have a more comfortable ride?

I have the same problem here in Windshire, after last nights commute I've resolved to use my cross bike with 35c nobbly tyres running at <60psi with tyre liners.

It's going to add 10-15 mins each way to a 17 mile commute but at least i'll have some teeth left come the summer.

For the record my CX is alu with carbon forks and seat post, I takes a while to get used to the low pressure slightly bouncy feeling on tarmac, headwinds take on a whole new world of pain too

Levi_501

I have just changed from alloy to steel, an Orange R8 infact.

The ride is definately more comfortable, but there are some trade offs, less agile and agggresive, and obviously the frame is heavier.

However, overall I would recommend teel as a commuter frame.

nich

My steel RoadRat certainly deals with bumps and rough road surfaces better than my alu 06 Allez (same tyres and saddle!).

hfidgen

bmca2010 wrote:

im currently running 28's, at about 100 psi, they are armadillo's

Are you copying me? I'm guessing you're on a BMC Crossmachine :P

I've got the exact same setup, and yeah it's a rough ride over the potholes but tbh... just get on with it. Surely that's the joy of a cyclocross bike - knowing it can take the rough whilst still being as quick as a roadie.

robz400

I just switched from a basic ali frame to an expensive carbon one and can't believe the difference. The tyres are the same size and pressure on both but the carbon bike feels like it has suspension in comparison! There is no doubt that it takes the road buzz out but it also handles very poor roads significantly better.

ok my experience is with ali and carbon not steel but I never used to really believe the whole frame making such a massive difference but it really really does....

gtvlusso

Steel - softer ride
Alloy - Very stiff ride
Carbon - Depends on weave; can be stiff or subtle.

Suggest: Carbon seatpost or carbon bars to relieve the vibrations + good saddle, preferably gel filled. This will help.

You could lower the pressure in your tyres, but it can feel like riding through mud and affect handling - your choice. Or get a less stiff tyre, like Continental Gatorskins.

Answering your question: Yes, if you buy a steel frame you will have a softer ride. But only if you buy something like 531c 531sl (pro) or the cheaper columbus tubed frames. Reynolds 753 onwards get stiff and the more expensive Columbues frames (Brain and SLX) get stiff too.

Also - older frames have different spacings and so on. Be sure that you have a compatibly spaced rear triangle - the bit where the rear wheel sits. Modern frames are spaced at 130mm - you may find that early steel frames can be 126mm and so on. You can "cold set" the spacing on the frame, but be careful as you can plit the brazing/lugs.

Seat tube may need to be checked that it is compatible with your current seatpost 27.0 in some old frames, 27.2 or 31.6 (very rare on steel frames)

Forks/headset may change too - i.e. you will need a quill stem or quill stem adaptor if you intend using the same bars and stem. If you buy a quill stem, you may need to buy compatible bars either 25.4mm or 26mm - some modern handlebars are 31.6 or oversize diameter.

Alloy frames are generally 1 1/8th inch aheadset and most steel frames are 1" threaded headset - so, be prpeared to buy a 1" threaded headset and cut the steerer accordingly. A conversion kit can be bought to put a carbon fork onto a steel frame: www.kinetic-one.co.uk can supply parts.

Check BB width and threading too - italian 70 or 68 British.

Brakes: on some older steel frames the brake holes may need to be drilled out to accept modern calipers with the allen key pinch bolt - 8mm hole, can be tricky to drill in the rear end.

So - it is not as easy as a straight transplant of parts. You will need to measure and budget as you will probably need some parts to convert your alloy frame fittings to a steel frame layout.

personally - I would go down the carbon seatpost and carbon bars route and try and different set of tyres.

This bike was built from an old frame and modern parts - it took a bit of time to find matching bits and there were costs involved:



I was lucky to get a frame that was spaced for modern parts and had allot of parts in my shed - the b*tch was the braze on's for the STI adjusters - I had to fashion a band on adaptor to fit the STI adjusters - another thing to think of if you are gonna use STI's!

SimonAH

I reckon that this is one of these 'sound of one hand clapping' type questions.....

Steel is inherently springier than aluminium (try bending a bit of aluminium wire - it's like a Gumby, goes exactly where you put it.

HOWEVER I reckon frame geometry and weight have WAY more to do with comfort than the material at a given pice point.

In terms of road vibes then I completely agree with the carbon forks comment above.

Tyres? Meh. I run 24s at 110 psi and use the ultimate in road comfort tools, my handlebars to avoid the sh1t. One fast hill on my run is navigated on the outer of the double yellow lines for it's smoothness as compared to the crappy tarmac.

.......Once I buy my Ti bike of course then I will have really strong opinions of why Ti is the only frame material even worth considering

jonny_trousers

I went from my steel Fuji to my aluminium Pearson and back to my Fuji again mainly because the Pearson just felt too unyielding on crappy city roads. I will only ever buy an aluminium frame again if I want a bike purely for training.

Gussio

Plenty of good advice above. Could also consider gel inserts under your bar tape?

MaxwellBygraves

I've often thought that Aluminium isn't a great choice for commuting/winter bike duties.
I've ridden alloy, steel and carbon (Ti is next on my list).
IME, carbon offers the smoothest ride. But both the steel bikes I've ridden had a beautiful 'springiness' which just felt fantastic.
Aluminium is a good material to build bikes with (cheap, abundant, strong, stiff) but there is no doubt in my mind that it just doesn't offer as smooth a ride as the others (will report back once I try Ti) so for commuting on crappy roads I'd pick steel.

lost_in_thought

My (low quality) steel mixte is far, far nicer on the stupid potholes and speedbumps of London than any of the alloy bikes I've ridden in the past. Of course, the full carbon dream machine is even better, but that's to be expected, and it's not really a practical commuter due to my fear of it being stolen!

bigmat

Bearing in mind most people's commutes aren't that long, surely this is only really an issue if you're soft as sh*t?

My alloy frame gives a pretty bumpy ride, probably not helped by 23mm tyres and a Flite saddle. MTFU time!

jonny_trousers

BigMat wrote:

Bearing in mind most people's commutes aren't that long, surely this is only really an issue if you're soft as sh*t?

My alloy frame gives a pretty bumpy ride, probably not helped by 23mm tyres and a Flite saddle. MTFU time!

You use a saddle??? Wimp! Does poor Matty need to sit down to take little rests? You're not working hard enough!!! MTFU!

jonginge

I've used a number of different bikes on my commute:
Peugoet (531Pro steel): comfy, fits me perfectly
Pearson Touche (alu): stiff as but fun
Planet-x (carbon): so-so comfort-wise
Scott CR1 (carbon): soaks up the bumps, is fast. Only ridden to work about twice, though

TBH the peugoet wins for the commute. Unfortunately I've ridden it into the ground. Needs some serious TLC to get it on the road again

gtvlusso

gtvlusso wrote:

Steel - softer ride
Alloy - Very stiff ride
Carbon - Depends on weave; can be stiff or subtle.

Suggest: Carbon seatpost or carbon bars to relieve the vibrations + good saddle, preferably gel filled. This will help.

You could lower the pressure in your tyres, but it can feel like riding through mud and affect handling - your choice. Or get a less stiff tyre, like Continental Gatorskins.

Answering your question: Yes, if you buy a steel frame you will have a softer ride. But only if you buy something like 531c 531sl (pro) or the cheaper columbus tubed frames. Reynolds 753 onwards get stiff and the more expensive Columbues frames (Brain and SLX) get stiff too.

Also - older frames have different spacings and so on. Be sure that you have a compatibly spaced rear triangle - the bit where the rear wheel sits. Modern frames are spaced at 130mm - you may find that early steel frames can be 126mm and so on. You can "cold set" the spacing on the frame, but be careful as you can plit the brazing/lugs.

Seat tube may need to be checked that it is compatible with your current seatpost 27.0 in some old frames, 27.2 or 31.6 (very rare on steel frames)

Forks/headset may change too - i.e. you will need a quill stem or quill stem adaptor if you intend using the same bars and stem. If you buy a quill stem, you may need to buy compatible bars either 25.4mm or 26mm - some modern handlebars are 31.6 or oversize diameter.

Alloy frames are generally 1 1/8th inch aheadset and most steel frames are 1" threaded headset - so, be prpeared to buy a 1" threaded headset and cut the steerer accordingly. A conversion kit can be bought to put a carbon fork onto a steel frame: www.kinetic-one.co.uk can supply parts.

Check BB width and threading too - italian 70 or 68 British.

Brakes: on some older steel frames the brake holes may need to be drilled out to accept modern calipers with the allen key pinch bolt - 8mm hole, can be tricky to drill in the rear end.

So - it is not as easy as a straight transplant of parts. You will need to measure and budget as you will probably need some parts to convert your alloy frame fittings to a steel frame layout.

personally - I would go down the carbon seatpost and carbon bars route and try and different set of tyres.

This bike was built from an old frame and modern parts - it took a bit of time to find matching bits and there were costs involved:



I was lucky to get a frame that was spaced for modern parts and had allot of parts in my shed - the b*tch was the braze on's for the STI adjusters - I had to fashion a band on adaptor to fit the STI adjusters - another thing to think of if you are gonna use STI's!

Hate quoting myself, but I forgot to add:

Alloy parts on steel frame = busy time for the sieze monkey. Coat all threads in copper grease (coppaslip) during build. Remember to coat an alloy seatpost (don't put copper grease on carbon) before you insert it into the seat tube. Coat the quill stem and wedge in copper grease too.

During winter and over time - alloy will fuse to steel and you will wind up with a bike that has all parts welded to it.

Seat post bolts that hold the saddle on are worth doing too as they get very wet.

Also - STI's you will need them to be adjustale - find a frame with braze ons that take a metric M5 screw. Some take a weird 7.5mm thread one as opposed to a standard 8mm thread - Old Dura Ace standards are 7.5mm - unusable on modern frames with modern bolts.

You can buy adjusters from ritchey that plug into the STI, but it is more pleasing to the eye to use the braze-on cable adjusters.

rjsterry

Even if you didn't have the adjusters on the dopwn tube, you would need some cable stops there.

snailracer

If bumps are a problem, a sprung saddle will have 10 times more "spring" than any frame made of any material.

Ergo grips work well on flat bars by angling your wrists for better shock absorption. Better still, use a North Road-style bar.

On any type of bar, make sure you are not putting too much weight on your wrists by having the saddle too far forward or bars too low/too forward.

In my "fleet" I have 2 similar shopper bikes: the aluminium one rides much more smoothly than the steel one, as far as I can tell because the alu one has a lower seat tube angle. So, in my case, frame geometry trumps frame material.

bigmat

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Bearing in mind most people's commutes aren't that long, surely this is only really an issue if you're soft as sh*t?

My alloy frame gives a pretty bumpy ride, probably not helped by 23mm tyres and a Flite saddle. MTFU time!

You use a saddle??? Wimp! Does poor Matty need to sit down to take little rests? You're not working hard enough!!! MTFU!

A mate of mine once tried to descend the Joux Plane with no saddle after his seatpost bolt snapped. I gather it isn't that easy...

unixnerd

Also worth a look at Bontrage BuzzKill bar end plugs. I have them on my road bikes and they do make a small difference.

dhope

Stop talking about steel framed bikes you gits, I already want to replace my Alu Langster with the lovely 2010 red/chromed Steel one despite knowing it'd just be frivolous. You're not helping.

jonginge

dhope wrote:

Stop talking about steel framed bikes you gits, I already want to replace my Alu Langster with the lovely 2010 red/chromed Steel one despite knowing it'd just be frivolous. You're not helping.

There's a good case for having a spare bike in case one needs to go into the shop for a few days.






:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

unixnerd

There's a good case for having a spare bike in case one needs to go into the shop for a few days.

Indeed, you can never have too many bikes after all. N+1.