How Are Carbon Fiber Bikes Different From Aluminium Forged Bikes

Posted by John Gear on February 1st, 2016

If you have set your foot in the market to purchase a new street bike, you should know that you will have to make a lot of important decisions. Aside from taking into consideration the make, brand, engine and model, another important thing to pay heed to when purchasing a bike is certainly the metal it is forged from. While traditionally carbon fiber and aluminium are the only two materials from which most bikes are manufactured, the debate on which is better, has stood for long.

On the surface, carbon fiber is way more appealing than aluminium and gives bikes a unique contrasting appearance that allows it to exude a true racing spirit. However, there’s more to carbon fiber than merely the looks. Let’s take a look at a few differences reported.

1. Lightweightedness
Carbon fiber clearly outshines aluminium in terms of weight. Carbon fiber bikes are relatively lighter than aluminium bikes that allows them to zoom past quickly and register remarkable top speeds. While it is possible that an extremely well-built aluminium bike may be lighter than a carbon fiber bike, premium and more expensive carbon fiber bikes are always lighter than aluminium ones.

2. Comfort
The general notion says that carbon fiber bikes are less stiff and impart the rider a greater degree of comfort while cruising. This is true by the way as aluminium has a tendency to transfer vibrations that results into a significant amount of discomfort. Carbon fiber bikes, on the other hand, absorb vibrations to a considerable extent making them a better choice in terms of comfort.

3. Resistance to Impact
One may argue that carbon fiber, due to its less weight, may get vulnerable to both low and high intensity impacts. This however, isn’t true as the structure of carbon fiber is highly complex that makes them extremely susceptible to damage. True, they are incapable of absorbing the damage, but in comparison to aluminium they are easy to restore.

4. Affordability
Quality comes at a cost. Same follows when we compare aluminium and carbon fiber bikes. Aluminium being the less strong of the two is definitely more affordable than carbon fiber. But then again, if you are concerned about safety on roads and higher performance, carbon fiber is the choice you should prefer.

Whether you are planning to own a new bike or modifying the existing one, you always have the option of adding carbon fiber bits to your ride. Thankfully, many dealers have marched ahead in the online domain that offer genuine custom carbon fiber parts online at affordable prices. You can always refer to their online portals to purchase the desired part.

Author’s Bio: The author owns a garage and takes bike customization projects. Here, he explains the difference between carbon fiber and aluminium forged bikes.