New to the bike gang

[bike4life]

I'd rather have a safe steel frame than an aluminium frame... (had an alu frame's dropouts bend on me before! Cost me the entire frame because no one wants to repair it)

bingo!!! steel is 3 times stronger than aluminum, if everything else like thickness and tube diameter remains the same. Plus you can weld it, and you can tap it. When you tap aluminum the threads are weak and can fail....

 

[Frogslayer]

You guys are nutz. Aluminum alloys have come a long ways with the aviation industry and space exploration.

 

[Vikingimike01]

Yep. You can fix your steel frame if it cracks. I think that is also a big adventage!

 

[Vikingimike01]

You guys are nutz. Aluminum alloys have come a long ways with the aviation industry and space exploration.

still cant weld or fix problems with it so easily

 

[mark20]

still cant weld or fix problems with it so easily

well, kinda you could tig weld it if you had too, or a much much cheaper alternative is to braze it (alumium rod and a torch will set you back around 300$) thats about the cost of a good quality welder

 

[Vikingimike01]

Thats a lot of money... I can buy 2 new good bicycles for that money here

 

[Frogslayer]

I weld aluminum all the time, we have a welder at my work with the separate spool and gas.

 

[bike4life]

You guys are nutz. Aluminum alloys have come a long ways with the aviation industry and space exploration.

Really....
Aluminum Modulus of Elasticity 70,000 Mega-Pascal
Steel Modulus of Elasticity 200,000 Mega Pascal
Alloys really dont affect the modulus that much. Maybe +/-10%. They effect other properties like corrosion, ductility, and other things indirectly related to strength...

 

[bike4life]

I weld aluminum all the time, we have a welder at my work with the separate spool and gas.

i mean yeah if you have a fancy set up, sure... $300 Argon Gas tank. $500 tig/mig welder... But not with a $150 stick welder...

 

[Vikingimike01]

I weld aluminum all the time, we have a welder at my work with the separate spool and gas.

But if its so much money, its not even worth it