Here we go...

Oh, by the way, please - let's keep this about the frame materials. Not about any "branding". I, and others, are not interested in why brand "X" is better than brand "R", or brand "P".

I want to learn something about the two frame materials and their properties.

-OR- can someone direct me where to look online for such info?

The role of frame materials in bike performance is grossly, and I mean absurdly over stated.

Frame material is less of a factor than tire choice.

That said, give me aluminum. Lighter, cheaper, easier to work with, more size options.

Carbon shmarbon.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Are aluminum frames usually lighter than a comparable carbon?

Nope, not always. And that further exemplifies the pointless conflab that is the discussion of one frame material versus another.

The truth is, it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

There are other factors, decidely less marketable, less glamorous and less controversial, that exert a significantly more profound effect of ride quality.

That said, the unresolveable debate will rage on....

The fact is, if it fits you optimally and is mechanically sound it will be a fine bike- regardless of the material used in the manufacture of the frame.

The significance of frame material, and insuing debate over it, is the biggest dirty lie in cycling.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

>>>>>The significance of frame material, and insuing debate over it, is the biggest dirty lie in cycling.<<<<<

Thanks Tom. I have owned frames made of steel, aluminum and carbon. I can only say that the steel bike felt different from the rest. It was also a significantly cheaper bike, price wise, than all the others.

Tom hi, are you still riding your Bianchi? If so how do you like it??

Dave in VA

So does this mean I'm NOT a bad person for preferring aluminum over carbon?

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

Other than vibration dampening, exotic frame shapes are also used to justify carbon. Other than replicating standard alu frame design in carbon, both the Cervelo P3 and Kestrel Airfoil offer subtle advantages. The Cervelo P3 is as aero as it gets for a UCI legal frame while the Kestrel is pretty close in aerodynamics, solves the rear wheel interacting with the seat tube problem, and provides extra comfort. However, this is all theoretical as I've never had the chance to compare. Any thoughts?

Is this the same Demerly that said:

"Science has independantly proven that carbon fiber is better, utterly seperate from marketing motives. Again and again and again. And once it was proven in the lab and in computer testing- it was confirmed in virtually every single equipment oriented sport in the world and almost every other high perfromance, high strength, high stress application in defense, space and industrial applications.

Carbon fiber is better.

While the definintion of "better" is broad and open ended, almost every interpretation of the wrod describes carbon fiber's characteristics over materials it has replaced.

Science proved it, use confirmed it. The wait for it to be proven has been over 20 years"

"The role of frame materials in bike performance is grossly, and I mean absurdly over stated."

"The significance of frame material, and insuing debate over it, is the biggest dirty lie in cycling."

Tom,

Thank you for returning the discussion to to reality. I am not tech guru, but as yourself and others have said, tires, saddles, cycling shorts, even bar tape have a bigger impact on the "ride" of a bike than the frame does. I strongly suspect that the differences in frames beyond say the $1,000 mark, are for the most part totally unnoticeable to the typical rider.

If you will excuse the pun, the bike business loves cycles. We are currently in the carbon cycle. A few years ago we were in the titanium cycle, before that the aluminum cycle. My guess, and it's only my very uneducated guess, is that the next cycle will be . . . wait for it, steel. That's the other thing the bike business likes to do - it likes to RE-cycle!!

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Maybe he has a lot of Alu bikes in stock.

Doh!!!!!!!!