Carbon Vs Aluminum Bike Frame Weight

A carbon fibre frame will almost always be lighter than an aluminium equivalent and you ll only find carbon fibre bikes in the pro peloton in part because of the weight benefits.

Carbon vs aluminum bike frame weight.

When looking to purchase a new bike the question of choosing between carbon and aluminum alloy frame pops up frequently. Ride quality is more noticeable on road frames than mountain frames with vibrations being damped by carbon more so than aluminum. A well built lightweight aluminum frame could weigh less than an inexpensive carbon frame. It is hard to pin down a hard and fast rule about how much lighter a carbon frame is compared to an aluminum one.

In general carbon fiber frames are lighter than aluminum frames. It s possible to build very light and capable bikes out of either aluminum or carbon. In comparison an aluminum bike can get very close to that weight limit. If the same accident results in a carbon fiber product snapping the product is often blamed.

Different factors like frame size manufacturer components and wheels have a big effect on weight but most aluminum bikes come in at around 18 pounds or lighter while still costing far less than a carbon fiber bike. Carbon however rules supreme in this area. Great road bikes for under 1 000. In order to create lightweight frames tube thickness is varied throughout the length of the tube.

The quality of the frame will ultimately determine weight. Carbon fibre can be relatively easily manipulated by designers to create frames with the particular balance of properties they want whether that s low weight comfort stiffness. But an aluminum frame wouldn t have come out of that crash in usable condition. Whilst it s possible to make a light bike out of either material when it comes to weight carbon definitely has the advantage.

In order to achieve a greater strength to weight ratio quality aluminium bike frames are butted. The perception is that if an aluminum product is bent in a crash it s the fault of the crash. For example a santa cruz bronson carbon frame may boast a 1 5 pound weight saving over the aluminum version while the carbon pivot switchblade might be 1 9 pounds lighter than the aluminum switchblade. When it comes to bike frames aluminium is alloyed with another metal.

Some say it s even better to buy a cheap carbon frame bike than an aluminum frame bike while others insist that cheap carbon frame bikes aren t worth your money and you should stick with metal in a tight budget. Buy carbon if you want the lightest and stiffest road bike money can buy or because you want to go aero. Carbon frames are usually a bit lighter than aluminum up to a pound for mountain frames and up to a half pound on road frames.