We can discuss material properties, tube shapes and thickess, welding style, gussets and yokes all day...
but one of the reasons why a person chooses his bike is also a question of feeling, inner feeling, and that's one of the things i love about this sport.
As a mechanic i'm aware of the performance benefits of some materials, the comfort benefits of some others, but as a rider what makes me stoked on swinging a leg over a machine is also the feeling i get from it.
As a road rider, i'll never have anything but steel. And in fact i never had. I come from a big framebuilders and workshops heritage and the steel bike just traces a line for me back to those days, those people, that era. Wich became a big part our culture today.
As a mtb rider, i had to get to know aluminum, and i liked it. No matter how much i drool over steel full suspension custom machines, to me the aluminum full suspension mtb remains THE mtb.
As for hardtails, i just had one, and it was steel. I know what you're thinking, but again, it's all about being related to something for me.
From some brands, like Mde, i won't be disappointed getting an aluminum hardtail, for example.
May 27, 2023, 1:48 a.m. - danithemechanic
We can discuss material properties, tube shapes and thickess, welding style, gussets and yokes all day... but one of the reasons why a person chooses his bike is also a question of feeling, inner feeling, and that's one of the things i love about this sport. As a mechanic i'm aware of the performance benefits of some materials, the comfort benefits of some others, but as a rider what makes me stoked on swinging a leg over a machine is also the feeling i get from it. As a road rider, i'll never have anything but steel. And in fact i never had. I come from a big framebuilders and workshops heritage and the steel bike just traces a line for me back to those days, those people, that era. Wich became a big part our culture today. As a mtb rider, i had to get to know aluminum, and i liked it. No matter how much i drool over steel full suspension custom machines, to me the aluminum full suspension mtb remains THE mtb. As for hardtails, i just had one, and it was steel. I know what you're thinking, but again, it's all about being related to something for me. From some brands, like Mde, i won't be disappointed getting an aluminum hardtail, for example.