Bike Frames

Bike frames are similar to the frame of other items, such as houses. The difference between a house frame and a bike frame is that while a house frame is then covered with drywall, insulation, and exterior siding, a bike frame usually gets a coat of paint and some decals, but is otherwise bared to the world. Another key difference is that home frames are normally made of wood, while bike frames are generally made of metal.

One exception to the metal rule of thumb is carbon fiber, which is technically a woven frame. An epoxy sets and strengthens the frame, which ends up being much lighter than any other material of comparable strength. The flip side is that constructing a bike frame entirely of a hardened cloth-like material is time consuming and expensive. For those that want a top tier bike, it is definitely the material of choice however.

Along with carbon fiber, the other recent changes to bike frames revolve around the suspension. Road bikes generally do not have a suspension, as uneven terrain would cause the tires to blow out long before the bumpiness caused serious issue for a rider. Mountain bikes on the other hand do have suspensions. The first models offered a split front-fork suspension. Later models incorporated a rear shock. Today, a complex series of rear hinges and pistons provide a balanced shock absorption system for rear suspensions, and some front forks have been replaced by a single piston positioned above the fork.