Aluminium Frames

[Richeypen]

I am after a new aluminium road frame. What companies would you recommend who specialise in high quality aluminium frames rather than carbon?

 

[DirtyWorks]

I am after a new aluminium road frame. What companies would you recommend who specialise in high quality aluminium frames rather than carbon?

Specialize how? Custom fit special? A small shop that actually makes their own aluminum alloy frames special?

 

[Richeypen]

Specialize how? Custom fit special? A small shop that actually makes their own aluminum alloy frames special?

More just companies who are renowned for making high class frames but concentrate solely on aluminium. Like Thorn with steel and Van Nicholas with Ti

 

[LugHugger]

I am after a new aluminium road frame. What companies would you recommend who specialise in high quality aluminium frames rather than carbon?

Try these guys for starters and see if there's anything you like! If you choose anything other than a Love 3 I want to know your reasons : Co-Motion, Pegoretti

 

[Afrank]

I would highly recommend Co-Motion, they make great bikes and tons of people from commuters to cat 5 racers to cat 1/2/3 racers use them where I live.

 

[PCutter]

Just buy a Cannondale.

May not be too exotic, but they know what they're doing with Aluminium. Never heard a bad word said about their CAAD series frames, and I can't complain about the one I had years ago. And available at most price points depending on what you're looking to spend.

 

[richwagmn]

Just buy a Cannondale.

May not be too exotic, but they know what they're doing with Aluminium. Never heard a bad word said about their CAAD series frames, and I can't complain about the one I had years ago. And available at most price points depending on what you're looking to spend.

So what's the ride like on late model 'dale? Do your teeth still chatter over bumps?

 

[Parera]

So what's the ride like on late model 'dale? Do your teeth still chatter over bumps?

No. It's better than a lot of entry level carbon frames. And lighter too.

 

[PCutter]

So what's the ride like on late model 'dale? Do your teeth still chatter over bumps?

I had 3 aluminium frames over the mid-late nineties to 2000, Klein Quantum Pro, Cannondale (I think CAAD4 - Team Saeco edition), and a Principia. The Klein and Prinicipia were both slightly lighter I think, the Principia probably the harshest, the Klein the least. All were lovely bikes, but the Cannondale was the most, what I would describe as 'chuckable' in crits (that's a good thing) despite the Klein having a reputation for very racey geometry. The Klein was more twitchy than the Cannondale on descents too (no doubt because of its racey geo). Really liked the geometry of the Cannondale.

Im sure your local Cannondale shop might have a tester for your to get a personal view on the harshness.

 

[richwagmn]

No. It's better than a lot of entry level carbon frames. And lighter too.

Cool. Been years since I've ridden one (say 20). They weren't exactly comfortable then.

 

[ElChingon]

Cool. Been years since I've ridden one (say 20). They weren't exactly comfortable then.

I wouldn't bet the farm on that, even low level carbon can beat Aluminium so don't be suckered. And all those Aluminum frames come with... wait for it... Carbon Fork.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Cool. Been years since I've ridden one (say 20). They weren't exactly comfortable then.

I wouldn't bet the farm on that, even low level carbon can beat Aluminium so don't be suckered. And all those Aluminum frames come with... wait for it... Carbon Fork.

I had an Alu bike 10-15 years ago with a Cro-Moly fork. Too much chip sealed bumpy surfaces around here, and I'd get beat up. Carbon fork would have helped greatly, but out of saddle was bad because the rear tire would bounce/skip a lot causing uneven cranking. Very annoying. I'll bet Alu frames nowdays would be better in those conditions. Any thoughts on that?

 

[BroDeal]

I had an Alu bike 10-15 years ago with a Cro-Moly fork. Too much chip sealed bumpy surfaces around here, and I'd get beat up. Carbon fork would have helped greatly, but out of saddle was bad because the rear tire would bounce/skip a lot causing uneven cranking. Very annoying. I'll bet Alu frames nowdays would be better in those conditions. Any thoughts on that?

My Washington built Klein had a bonded aluminum fork made by SR or Sakai, which worked well for all day riding on crap pavement. The frame's tubes were not massively oversized like the later Cannondales.

 

[Parera]

I wouldn't bet the farm on that, even low level carbon can beat Aluminium so don't be suckered. And all those Aluminum frames come with... wait for it... Carbon Fork.

I've owned a CAAD9 and Special-ed crabon. The Cannondale was the superior bike in terms of ride quality.

 

[ElChingon]

I had an Alu bike 10-15 years ago with a Cro-Moly fork. Too much chip sealed bumpy surfaces around here, and I'd get beat up. Carbon fork would have helped greatly, but out of saddle was bad because the rear tire would bounce/skip a lot causing uneven cranking. Very annoying. I'll bet Alu frames nowdays would be better in those conditions. Any thoughts on that?

Well I can only offer up a 2001 Pinarello Prince (might of been 2000) which rode very nice, full aluminum frame with a carbon fork, you could feel the effort you put into it equate to moving forward. Was great to ride on sooth roads, but if was too bumpy man it even left a ringing to your bones, only rode it on known rides were I knew I wouldn't be having a Paris-Roubaix experience. It cracked in the middle of the seat tube. Then I got a replacement, a 2004 Opera Georgione, which again was great, it did have a wish bone carbon seat stay. It was smoother than the Prince but was still dingy on long rides over not so smooth roads as leaving you feeling tingly. It also cracked but at the weld at the back of the BB and it propagated to the material (past warantee no replacement). I took notice when on one ride it felt like I was riding a wet noodle, it felt so weird I stoped a couple times to see if everything was OK. Not till I cleaned it did I see the crack.

All the time, I still had my carbon bike during both of those and to this day is very solid and no cracks or wet noodle riding. Still solid and a great ride, no dingy feeling after those same bad roads I'd avoid on the Aluminum frames. So the new bike had to be Carbon as well.

Just my experience I know, not a solid scientific case study but enough for me not to fork over any more dough on an Aluminium frame.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Thanks for those inputs BroDeal and ElChingon.

@ElChingon: Noodling frame... boy that is a weird feeling. I once snapped a CroMoly MTB frame at the BB of the downtube. But fortunately it was on a descent road surface and not off road, so I was able to limp home without too much trouble.

 

[42x16ss]

I wouldn't bet the farm on that, even low level carbon can beat Aluminium so don't be suckered. And all those Aluminum frames come with... wait for it... Carbon Fork.

Don't be so sure. A good custom aluminium frame or a well made off the shelf aluminium frame can really surprise you. If you don't believe me try a CAAD 10, even the new Specialized Allez will do. Both are better than similarly priced carbon frames and light years ahead of entry level aluminium junk (eg. Giant, Merida etc)

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I am after a new aluminium road frame. What companies would you recommend who specialise in high quality aluminium frames rather than carbon?

Merckx..gotta look in Europe but great frames.

 

[kiwirider]

<<Problems with Pinarello aluminium frames>>

Just my experience I know, not a solid scientific case study but enough for me not to fork over any more dough on an Aluminium frame.

I think what you're describing is more what I was told was a problem that Italian frame builders were having with the tubing that they were using around that time than a problem with aluminium frames per se.

I had the same sort of experiences with Bianchi - one cracked at the head tube (only minor when I spotted it) and the other did the whole noodle thing that you experienced as I was commuting home one winter's night - which was probably because it had a spiral crack all the way around the down tube and was basically being held together by the velcro straps holding on my light pack ...

I got similarly **** warranty treatment - the second one was under a year old, but I was told it had "too much the age" to be covered - and started looking around. When I did, I was told by more than one bike shop that there were quite major problems springing up across pretty much all Italian brands - including shops who sold Bianchi, Colnago, Pinarello ...

The blame was put at the feet of Dedacciai - something to do with their alloying processes and the exact combinations of the various metals in the tubing - and too much of a pursuit for weight saving.

Not being either a metallurgist or a framebuilder, I can't say for certain that this story was true - but the slew of broken frames with "Deda" stickers on them that the shops could show me certainly made for compelling circumstantial evidence ...

So, don't necessarily damn aluminium based on that experience ...

 

[BroDeal]

You could check out Rock Lobster. Cyfac also makes AL frames. David Tiemeyer does too.

The issue I see with "high end aluminum" is that you will end up paying the same as you would for steel.

 

[ElChingon]

So, don't necessarily damn aluminium based on that experience ...

If I was given one for free I'd try it, but I'm not spending any of my cash on something like that again.

 

[BroDeal]

If I was given one for free I'd try it, but I'm not spending any of my cash on something like that again.

I think you guys are way overselling this. Half the people in the late 90s were using aluminum frames and it has been main material for mountain bikes for some time now. Aluminum's main problem is acoustic. It sounds harsh. I am skeptical that any material makes much of a difference. It's frame geomery, fork, and tires that make a difference. These days all the carbon frames are just as stiff or stiffer than the older aluminum ones.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Russ Denny

Dave Moulton's protege Russ Denny is still making aluminum frame sets. Probably still making a bunch for other brands too.

BroDeal is right, geometry is first, materials a distant fourth.

http://www.russdennybicycles.com/page-1

Way back in the day Moulton's Fuso bikes were highly regarded and Russ was a part of that operation.

 

[fatsprintking]

I had 3 aluminium frames over the mid-late nineties to 2000, Klein Quantum Pro, Cannondale (I think CAAD4 - Team Saeco edition), and a Principia. The Klein and Prinicipia were both slightly lighter I think, the Principia probably the harshest, the Klein the least. All were lovely bikes, but the Cannondale was the most, what I would describe as 'chuckable' in crits (that's a good thing) despite the Klein having a reputation for very racey geometry. The Klein was more twitchy than the Cannondale on descents too (no doubt because of its racey geo). Really liked the geometry of the Cannondale.

Im sure your local Cannondale shop might have a tester for your to get a personal view on the harshness.

Good post - I'm still riding a caad4 seaco and it rocks. The more I ride it the more I love it. On box section rims and dura ace hubs it rides super smooth and it is very solid. Its the best sprinting frame I have had by far and it copes really well with getting knocked around. Mine has a one inche steel threadless time made fork and I find the front end much better than the Deda, Look and Columbus modern full carbon forks I have owned on other much more expensive bikes.

I am sure a caad 10 would be good, but would plump for a nos caad 9 myself. But as I parked my bike at the cafe the other day amoungst a bunch of gits 10k carbon wonders - I have to say that the old cippiolini seaco looked pretty cool.

 

[ustabe]

Good post - I'm still riding a caad4 seaco and it rocks. The more I ride it the more I love it.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably do it on a CAAD10. Those Mavic neutral support bikes have to be pretty decent. And full Dura-Ace 7900 for $3650--ridiculous.