BILL BOSTON CYCLES

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You can find bikes today made from any number of materials. While the most common materials are steel and aluminum. Exotic materials once only used in the aerospace industry are finding there way into an increasing number of bicycle frames.

Steel

Once the only material used in frame construction, it is still a good choice. Steel frames are still available in lugged construction (mostly by small specialty builders) and on frames that are TIG welded. My personal preference is toward lugged steel frames, but welded frames are cheaper to produce and hold up well.

Aluminum

Aluminum is widely used today by several large manufacturers and provides light and stiff frames. These frames are easy to identify, because most have tubes that are of larger diameter than their steel counterparts. There is a fairly wide range of prices among aluminum bikes, but in general they are more expensive than steel.

Exotics

Truly at the top end of the food chain along with custom frames. Frames today are made from carbon fiber, carbon fiber / aluminum, titanium, or various combinations of titanium and carbon fiber.

 

 

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Last modified: July 09, 2014