When we prepare to acquire a bicycle, one of the possibilities that we can choose will be the material in which the picture is manufactured, is it better to buy a bicycle with an aluminum frame or a bicycle with carbon box?
Over the years and their cheaper, the choice of carbon has been generalized that there are those who affirm that the “good” bikes are manufactured in this material, leaving the perception that aluminum is more focused on lower -end bicycles and more assemblies and more assemblies Modestos. In fact, brands tend to allocate this material to the entry models of their different ranges, the higher models being carbon.
But can we say that a carbon bicycle will always be a better bike? The answer is a resounding.
Carbon has undeniable virtues, such as its ability to flex and absorption, and its rigidity. In road cycling it is much more comfortable. As for the mountain bike, add a small damping extra to which the suspensions already contribute. And above all there is the most celebrated virtue in this material: its greatest lightness.
But everything has its against, and the fact that the picture of a bicycle is carbon can be a substantial difference in its final price, even to equal components, making it sometimes justified that we consider acquiring an aluminum model.
Brands usually increase the quality of the components with which they equip their paintings according to their material, relegating the most economical assemblies to aluminum models. But sometimes we can find brands that in two models propose virtually identical components, except for the material material.
Scott Scale aluminum vs Scott Carbon Scale
[Captation id = "Attachment_6493" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "900"]
(Image: B.Stokes - Unsplash)[/caption]
Let's take an example: the range of
Scott Scale mountain bikes of this year 2016. The 740 model is the range of the range in terms of aluminum assemblies, and Equipa Fox Flaat 32 Performance with remote control, change and 22 -speed Shimano XT buttons, XT deviation, cranks equally xt, xt pine nuts and shimano slx hydraulic brakes. It is surprising that you also mount some anecdotal water plastic pedals. The total weight amounts to 11.2 kilos, with a catalog price of € 1999.
The equivalent carbon model would be the 735 Scale, with a frankly lower assembly: to fork equality, the change - it is to continue being Shimano XT - stays in 20 speeds. The diversion, connecting rods and pine nuts are from the Deore range, while the brakes are poor M-386, not especially recognized for their retention capacity. The weight is at 10.9 kilos (remember that the aluminum model mounts plastic "pedals" that increase the final weight, nonexistent in model 735), and the catalog price is € 2299.
That is, carbon is a difference of 300 euros more by a lower assembly and a practically identical weight. To match the assembly of the 740 aluminum model, it would be necessary to go to the Scott Scale 710 of carbon, in which with the exception of a fork of a higher model, the rest of the mechanical pieces are the same. The weight low substantially, this time, up to 10.2 kg, but the price shoots up to 3,500 euros.
Is it worth paying 1500 euros more for a carbon box and a fork a upper step that only reduces 1 kilo of weight? With those 1500 euros saved in the aluminum model, other components could be changed, such as wheels and fork, equating the weight of both, and we would probably continue saving money.
In short, our advice from Tuvalum is that you never rule out aluminum bicycles, because you can find authentic jewels.
