Mountain bike frames
There are different opinions on which material the best mountain bike
frames are made from, but all metals have certain advantages. Steel
and aluminum are the most popular and affordable, but it’s all
subjective; a well-made aluminum frame can cost the same as a low-end
titanium frame.
Steel frames fall on the low-end of the price spectrum because they
are fairly easy to manufacture and assemble. Steel mountain bike frames
also tend to be the heaviest material and they can rust if not cared
for. However, steel does not suffer from the same metal fatigue that
aluminum does so they will not fail (break) after repeated use.
A well-made aluminum frame is very light and easy to maneuver through
technical trails. However aluminum mountain bike frames have a tendency
to be more flexible than steel, which can be great performance-wise
but leads to metal fatigue and failure.