For the other parts of his mountain bike, Glenn chooses not the spend extra money for exotic titanium and ultralight metal alloy tidbits since their price outweighs the performance advantages for him. Many mountain bikes have suspension systems to cushion the rider from bumps on trails. The shock absorbers are either pieces of elastomeric polymers or a hydraulic system, within legs of steel or aluminum metal . Glenn's bike also utilizes a carbon fiber beam to support the seat and dampen shock through an elastomeric shear layer within the beam. All rights reserved.
Weight is balanced with cost to determine the final materials in a bike.
At 8 kg, Glenn's bike is light, yet durable and dependable. Frames are made from titanium, a metal which is extremely light and solid, but more expensive than traditional steel or aluminum and more difficult to machine. To reduce the overall weight of the bike, Glenn has also chosen a titanium seatpost, crank shaft, and sprockets. The other, smaller parts are primarily made of less expensive aluminum or carbon fiber reinforced composites . All rights reserved.