Moreover, the aerospace-derived titanium and carbon fiber are not as astronomically priced as they once were. Consult Figure 2 to help you determine which material's properties best fit your riding and racing requirements. Exotics lightweight, strong most expensive Steel is the most versatile material and can be drawn, machined, shaped, and alloyed with other metals to accommodate a wide variety of strength and performance requirements. The result is an impressive array of strong, comfortable, excellent handling, and inexpensive frames built of steel alloys. The one drawback to steel is that it is much heavier than newer materials.
Titanium is perhaps the best all around material for racing bicycles.
It is extremely strong, lightweight, and durable, far outperforming steel in dhese respects. Additionally, it has the unique property of flexion without deformation. This results in a remarkably smooth and comfortable ride as the titanium frame responds to bumps, vibration, and torque application, but remains incredibly strong providing superior power transfer. Titanium is also the most durable of all frame materials and is extremely resistant to denting and metal fatigue. Additionally, titanium is a very unreactive substance and will not rust or corrode.