531 v alloy

[mattsccm]

That Cannondale is much lower. I have stem adaptors, 35 degree rise 80mm stem and very shallow reach bars. . There is no doubt. Iam getting old and stiff. Mover the seat forward a bit but that actuall pus more weight on my hands as i more to far over the BB. Wanted 53 cm Tt 531 frame i suppose.

 

[snailracer]

That Cannondale is much lower. I have stem adaptors, 35 degree rise 80mm stem and very shallow reach bars. . There is no doubt. Iam getting old and stiff. Mover the seat forward a bit but that actuall pus more weight on my hands as i more to far over the BB. Wanted 53 cm Tt 531 frame i suppose.

I tried moving the seat forward on my bike some time ago, to my surprise it put more weight on my hands, just as you report. So I raised my bars 6 inches, that sorted out my problems.

 

[earth]

The main advantage with alloy is that you can make a tube with a larger diameter without the frame becoming too heavy.

A tube with a larger diameter is stiffer than a smaller tube of the same weight.

So basically an alloy bike with outsize tubes will be stiffer (hence the discomfort).

If speed isn't your bag then steel is the way to go - unless you can afford the more exotic!

I see this from a different perspective. Alloy frames have to have larger diameter tubes to be stiff enough and still light.

 

[snailracer]

I see this from a different perspective. Alloy frames have to have larger diameter tubes to be stiff enough and still light.

Alloy tubing is sized so it has a service life comparable to steel tubing. Because alloy suffers from cumulative metal fatigue and steel doesn't, alloy has to be both strong AND stiff to resist bending, which induces fatigue.

The stiffness is a side effect of alloy's poor fatigue characteristics. Whether stiffness is good or bad depends on the sort of riding you do and the sort of bike you ride.

 

[ColinJ]

I like riding stiff bikes and find that using sensible tyre pressures can take the sting out of most little bumps.

Without lowish tyre pressures (85-95 psi), my steel Basso is as harsh to ride as my aluminium Cannondale. Mind you, the steel tubing used is relatively oversized so that might have something to do with it.