For some time now we have been contacted by beginners wanting to know more about what to look for in a bike and what all the various acronyms etc. mean.  Over the coming weeks we will have a number of posts regarding the various ins and outs of frame materials, group sets, suspension forks, wheels and tyres to allow you to better understand what you are shelling out on and why you might (or might not) want to shell out some more. One of the most puzzling aspects of buying a bike is the jargon that a shop assistant might spout so we hope to arm you with the relevant information to allow you to make an informed choice.

The most common question we get is what brand should I buy?  We are not really into recommending any particular brands, after all this is part of the fun, but to begin with have a look at the big three - Giant, Specialized and Trek to see what the major trends in the market are.  There are of course loads more to choose from with many new entrants to the Irish market threatening their dominance such as motor bike manufacturer KTM for example and other more established acts such as Marin, Scott, GT, Kona, Cannondale and Rocky Mountain but the list is endless.

First up lets look at Frames.

Frames

There are 4 main materials that frames are made of Steel, Aluminium, Titanium and Carbon fibre.  Each of these have various advantages and it is a hot topic among riders as to what is best material.  As the core component of your ride this is perhaps the most crucial aspect of your ride.  What material you use will depend on the type of riding you are into and how deep your pocket is. To begin with a quick lesson.  Light weight is desirable in mountain biking as the less weight you have to move, the easier it is to accelerate and climb.  Even in the downhill world where weight can actually be an advantage (simple gravity) light weight is now seen as a distinct advantage with manufacturers continually pushing the boundaries.  Prices vary widely.  A beginner need look no further than steel or aluminium but it is useful to know why you might want a more expensive frame or even to know what the sales person is harping on about.  Forewarned etc.etc.  If you have a bottom less wallet by all means consider a more expensive material.  We feel that you can notice the difference but then again we have been riding for long enough and have seen many trends come and go. It is a good idea to try a steel or aluminium hardtail (no rear suspension) to learn the basics on before moving into the full suspension market.

Steel - This budget frame option is the easiest to work with and the material with the longest heritage in mountain biking.  Steel went through a hard period when it was out of favour recently but it is once again coming to the fore.  Renowned for its slight give, steel frames are seen as more comfortable than aluminium and it’s ease of welding allows for repairs.  Lots of small custom welders exist, particularly in the UK, with some really nice designs and options available.  If you want a custom frame made specifically for you, this is the easiest and cheapest option.

Steel frames are often made of various alloys which offer various different properties - stronger or more supple frames for example.  It is a good idea to research the various frame materials before you purchase to make sure that your frame meets your requirements.  Other key words to look for include double or triple butted tubes (the tubes are thinner away from the joints either in two steps or three, allowing for lighter weight).

Atomlab, Azonic, Blk Market bikes, Brank X, Cove, Da bomb, DMR, Identiti, Kona, On one, Planet X and Rocky Mountain are just a handful of the manufacturers who still make frames in the various steel alloys with prices starting under €200.  Steel is a great material for a jump bike or a trail bike.

The drawbacks are weight, it is not as light as the others but then it is far cheaper.

Aluminium - Far harder then steel, aluminium needs to be forged at higher temperatures but can be manipulated to produce very light framesets.  Hydroforming is a relatively new process utilising jets of water to push the tubes into new shapes, thicknesses and curves.  This has allowed frame builders to push the boundaries of frame design and computerised manufacture allows companies to produce frames in large quantities with high quality levels.

Most of the big brand name manufacturers use Aluminium throughout their range.  In cross country low to mid range frames are virtually all aluminium with some bringing it back into their top level bikes.  One example is the new Anthem X frame from Giant. They have managed to produce an aluminum 4″ cross country full suspension frame that is lighter than its carbon fibre brother at about a third of the price.

When you look beyond cross country to all mountain and downhill for example, aluminium becomes the predominant material of choice at all levels of manufacture.  Its strength to weight ratio is great and hydroforming has allowed designers to produce tubes specifically designed to take forces and stresses that other materials cannot.  There are various grades of aluminium on offer too, based around he components of the alloy - 6061and 7000 for example.  Generally the higher the number the stiffer the metal.

Criticisms of aluminium are that it looses its renowned stiffness after as little as one season.  In reality for the average rider you will get many seasons out of a frame.  Prices vary but seem to start around the €400 mark with €600 getting you a serious hardtail frame and even cheaper full suspension options.  Many manufacturers make aluminium versions of their more expensive carbon fibre bikes for a lot less.  For example Giant’s top hard tail the XTC is available as an aluminium frameset as well as in carbon fibre.

Titanium - This was the ultra material of choice for the 90’s and early noughties.  Very expensive but with unparalleled durability titanium was hailed as the peak of mountain bike technology.  That was before carbon fibre came along and amidst all the hype about this wonder material, titanium was partly forgotten.  However some manufacturers still believe in it and it is easy to see why.  US female Olympic rider Mary McConneloug rides for US frame manufacturer Seven cycles and rode the same custom frame for five years at World Cup level.  Few riders of her calibre ride the same frame for more than a year, many change it twice a year.  The big drawback is price but as it is now the same as carbon fibre people are starting to return to titanium in droves as it is so much more durable.

One of the big advantages is the flex inherent to titanium.  Designers have managed to build full suspension frames with only one pivot point as the material can be built to flex a lot.  On a traditional hardtail frame titanium is said to be much more forgiving than any of its rivals.

Brands include Charge, Van Nicolas, Marin and Litespeed to name but a few.

Carbon Fibre - The only non metallic material of the bunch, this is the current in vogue material due to its versatility and light weight.  Originally it was the preserve of cross country riders only but it has started to creep into other disciplines too.  For example the current GT downhill bike is made from carbon.

A few things are critical to a good carbon fibre frame design.  Carbon is laid in strands which have strength in only one direction.  By laying the strands in multiple directions frame strength is increased with the ultimate aim of high strength and low weight.  The strands are placed in a mould in the desired layup and then baked with a resin to produce the raw frame which is then finished.  It’s a costly process with many areas which can go wrong.  Early frames utilised aluminium lugs or joints to get around the whole corner problem.  As technology progressed frames were produced in pieces and glued together until finally we are at the stage where a frame can be produced in only one or two pieces.  Carbon can be moulded into all sorts of weird and wonderful shapes allowing designers all sorts of creative reign.  For example many high end framesets from companies such as Scott, Trek and Look feature one piece integrated seat posts which are cut to fit the rider, reducing weight by removing the need for a seat post and the strengthening that has to go into the downtube.

Like titanium though, carbon is very very expensive.  Hand building frames is a specialist job and does not come cheap.  Having said that at the Eurobike trade show we heard that frames are on offer in Taiwan at $100 a pop trade so expect to see prices start to drop.  One current idea popular with designers particularly in the full suspension market is a carbon fibre front triangle (front half) and an aluminium rear triangle (the triangle around the rear wheel).  The 2009 Specialized Epic does this.  Innovative features currently in vogue are headtubes (the bit that your fork slots through) with different diameter openings.  The base of the opening is 1 and 1/2 inches whilst the top is the standard 1 and 1/8th inch.  This allows for a much stiffer front end with better tracking of the fork on the trail.  The drawback though is that you must use a specially designed fork so upgrading or changing your fork may be a problem in the future.

Carbon is our material of choice currently.  It has a slight flex removing trail buzz and it is incredibly light and very efficient when it comes to power transfer.  The big criticism is that they are prone to damage but most of the top manufacturers offer warranties on the frames which allow for failures (but not stupidity).

One of the reasons for the expense of carbon fibre is that it is so hot in other industries too.  There was a shortage in 2007 as Boeing and Airbus bought up huge stocks of it for use in their new super planes.  Expect no change from €1,000 for a hardtail frame alone.  Most of the major manufacturers produce carbon offerings - Giant, Specialized, Trek, Marin, KTM, GT, Scott, Rocky Mountain, Merida and Commencal for example but there are plenty of smaller companies producing quality frames too such as Orbea, Corratec and Ridley.