This is an interesting article and makes some fair points.
However....aluminium is just not a very durable material compared to steel in an mtb. Any day of the week if I were laying down some dough on a high-end hardtail i would choose steel before aluminium. Not for ride quality preconceptions...just because its going to have a very finite life that is shorter than I'd probably like.
I have something of a rarity in a 2013 kona process 151. The chainstay brace has a crack in it because its aluminum. I could repair it including the heat treatment but I would still be worrying what was going to crack next....because its aluminium.
It's a shame as I love the hydroformed frames that exist and I am sure the aluminium hardtail game has moved on. But as far as I am aware nothing has developed that really changes the fundamental durability weaknesses of aluminium over steel.
I would still choose aluminum before carbon on a hardtail though.
May 27, 2023, 4:41 a.m. - pbass
This is an interesting article and makes some fair points. However....aluminium is just not a very durable material compared to steel in an mtb. Any day of the week if I were laying down some dough on a high-end hardtail i would choose steel before aluminium. Not for ride quality preconceptions...just because its going to have a very finite life that is shorter than I'd probably like. I have something of a rarity in a 2013 kona process 151. The chainstay brace has a crack in it because its aluminum. I could repair it including the heat treatment but I would still be worrying what was going to crack next....because its aluminium. It's a shame as I love the hydroformed frames that exist and I am sure the aluminium hardtail game has moved on. But as far as I am aware nothing has developed that really changes the fundamental durability weaknesses of aluminium over steel. I would still choose aluminum before carbon on a hardtail though.