Frame material question/poll

Assuming you have a titanium bike, a carbon bike, an aluminum bike, a steel bike, and a aluminum bike w/ carbon seat stays et al, which is ideal for someone like myself training for 3rd IM (Placid) and Wildflower 1/2 before that? Currently on a carbon bike but thinking something with more traditional geometry might fit me better, yet I don’t want to lose the cushioning ride of carbon necessarily. So, assuming all bikes fit equal, which is best??

Making generalizations about frame material is exactly as (in)accurate as making generalizations about people. It is rarely correct. Example: Aluminum rides harsh, Cro-Moly is heavy buts rides comfortably, Carbon fiber is not dependable and is expensive, Titanium, blah, blah, blah…
Similar to saying “Irish Fellas always enjoy a drink, People from San Francisco are likely to gravitate to an alternative lifestyle, Jewish people tend to be good business people” These generalizations, as with bike materials, are misinformed to the point of being offensive. The most comfortable bike I ever rode was an aluminum bike, and the least comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden was also an aluminum bike. There are no bad materials, only bad applications. Bob Jenny who used to work for Seven Cycles said it best: “We can make anything ride like anything.”

Well, I don’t have a preference for all purposes. My favorite touring bike is steel…(and to shorten the list)…I’ll just say I ride (mostly) carbon fiber because it fits not because it’s carbon fiber. By and large, I ride both titanium, aluminum, steal and carbon fiber all at once. By that I mean, I have a carbon fiber frame…carbon fiber spokes on aluminum rims…with titanium rails on my seat…and use both steel and aluminum/titanium seat post. As you can see, materials are useful depending upon their designed usefulness and not base on the material alone. Which material do I prefer? The one that works for the designated situation/purpose.

FWIW Joe Moya

Steel is real
Alu rocks
Ti is sweet
Carbon is sexy
.