Steel is Real! That's the cliché nowadays with regard to using steel to build frames. Steel has been around a long time. In fact, steel weapons were being made in India as early as the 4th century B.C. By 250 - 200 B.C. iron and steel had become common metals in India.

Today, steel bicycle frames are made from 4130 chromoly. It's much lighter and stronger than regular steel. Race cars and many airplanes use 4130 tubing for their frames.

Steel has a springy quality: it bends and flexes, but always returns to it's original position, kind of like a bridge. Ever notice during rush hour how you can feel a bridge sway? That's what a steel frame bicycle is like, except it doesn't flex as much.

Benefits of Steel

• Strong.

  You won't have to worry about the frame cracking when touring on rough roads.

   

• Easy to weld/repair.

  You can MIG weld, TIG weld, or braze chromoly. Some don't suggest MIG welding chromoly because it's so thin, but Greenspeed, the world's #1 recumbent trike maker uses MIG welding. MIG is available in every corner of the world. So, if you're into world touring, if your frame cracks you can easily get it welded.

   

• Relatively Cheap.

  4130 chromoly steel has been around for the better part of a century. It's produced in large quantities. Therefore, it's easy for companies to keep cost down. In other words, you can build a strong, relatively light bicycle for which can handle any road conditions for much less cost than titanium.

Aluminum

Aluminum frames are known for having a stiff ride. You don't have that flexy feeling that you get when riding steel bikes. Instead, aluminum frames have a fast, responsive feel. Therefore, comfort is sacrificed because the frame doesn't give. This is great for racing.

However, tourist are not as concerned about weight as our racing counterparts because we're not racing we doing it for the adventure.

Also, with a good recumbent seat, the stiffness of aluminum will be kept to a minumuim.

Benefits of Aluminum

• Rust Proof.

  Aluminum does corrode, but nowhere near as fast as a steel.

   

• Lighter than Chromoly.

  Aluminum has become the new standard in mountain bikes. If you go to a local bike shop that only sells traditional diamond frames, aluminum is king. It's lighter and stiffer than steel. Because of the mass production of aluminum tubes it's becoming cheaper than steel.

Titanium

Titanium is like steel as far as ride and strength goes. It's also much lighter given the same tubing size. The main benefit is you can build a stronger lighter bike with the same size tubes. You'll be a faster racer!

Benefits of Titanium

• Super Light
• Super Corrosion Resistant
• Super Strong

The main downside to using titanium is cost. It's some of the most expensive stuff you can buy. But if you are obsessed with weight reduction, titanium is the way to go. It also uses more expensive welding equipment to weld.

Titanium is a great choice for racing, but for touring the cost is too great for the intended job.