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How a bicycle frame works

2020-08-06

Assuming an adult weights 60–80kg (130–180lb), the frame of a bicycle has to be fairly tough if it's not going to snap or buckle the moment the rider climbs on board. Ordinary bicycles have frames made from strong, inexpensive, tubular steel (literally, hollow steel tubes containing nothing but air) or lighter alloys based on steel or aluminum. Racing bicycles are more likely to be made from carbon-fiber composites, which are more expensive but stronger, lighter, and rustproof.

You might think that a bike frame made out of aluminum tubing would be much weaker than one made from steel-but only if the tubes are similar in dimensions. In practice, every bike needs to be strong enough to support the rider's weight and the loads it's likely to experience during different kinds of handling. So an aluminum bike would use tubing with a larger diameter and/or thicker walls than a bike made from steel tubing.

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The frame doesn't simply support you: its triangular shape (often two triangles joined together to make a diamond) is carefully designed to distribute your weight. Although the saddle is positioned much nearer to the back wheel, you lean forward to hold the handlebars. The angled bars in the frame are designed to share your weight more or less evenly between the front and back wheels. If you think about it, that's really important. If all your weight acted over the back wheel, and you tried to pedal uphill, you'd tip backwards; similarly, if there were too much weight on the front wheel, you'd go head over heels every time you went downhill!

Frames aren't designed to be 100 percent rigid: that would make for a much less comfortable ride. Virtually all bike frames flex and bend a little so they absorb some of the shocks of riding, though other factors (like the saddle and tires) have much more effect on ride comfort. It's also worth remembering that the human body is itself a remarkably efficient suspension system; riding a mountain bike along a rough trail, you'll very quickly become aware of how your arms can work as shock absorbers! Indeed, it can be quite instructive to view the body as an extension (or complement) of the bike's basic frame, balanced on top of it.

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