Carbon vs. Aluminum Gravel Bikes: What’s The Difference?

ByAnthony McArthur Updated
Credits to: @xokvictor

Outdoor game-changer sports such as cycling have undoubtedly been a buzz for all adventurous people who love discovering new places through pedaling. However, many people struggle in picking the frame fit for their gravel bike between carbon and aluminum. These two are the common gravel building frame materials designed to undertake soft and off-road surfaces.

In that case, brace yourself as this article will give detailed information about the two featured bike frames and their pros and cons. Furthermore, guide you in choosing the right bike frame that suits you perfectly.  

Carbon Gravel Bikes

Carbon gravel bikes have intricate fiber and resin substances apart from superior light properties to provide ride quality and better power transfers in every pedal.

Even though carbon frame is intensive work to do, it can serve various complex shapes than aluminum tubes and eliminates sharp joint profiles. Its organic forms offer an exceptional and lightweight setup. Furthermore, carbon has a blend of stiffness and vibration absorption that does not match other metal tube sets.

Also, the lifespan of carbon is much better than others bike frames. It is rust-resistant, and other possible damages over time can be handled faultlessly.

Properties

Carbon manufacturing provides more aerodynamic tube shapes and inducts fine-tune stiffness absorption. It furnished damping and ride-comfort effects more than regular frames at the most affordable price. Additionally, the catastrophic failure point is much higher than aluminum, and your desired tune frame can easily be achieved.

In torsional stiffness, the built or the placement direction of carbon is vital to gain a damping effect that transfers all the power into the rear wheel. With these being said, your cycling performance can be faster than a metal tube set.

Function

Carbon gravel bikes have fine-tuning stiffness and comfort that their setup serves. Compared to other framings, their strength-to-weight ratio is higher than aluminum. If you have a specific ride characteristic, it can be achieved by changing the carbon setup.

Moreover, carbon can make bike shapes and add other alignments depending on the stiffness in different areas of the rider’s cycling characteristic needs. However, creative flexibility comes with a price as carbon materials are typically expensive among other bike frame building materials. 

Rideability

Carbon filaments or shreds should be bonded perfectly to attain an intact and well-rounded frame and stable ride. If it is not, the carbon components can bring collision without warning. Make sure to search for a legitimate and reliable manufacturer which focuses on applying resin intensely to avoid cracks and gaps.

Given that carbon elements can be laterally stiff and vertically compliant and produces various shapes and alignment depending on the rider’s needs and equal distribution of vibrations, the tires and touchpoints of the bike influence the ride.

Durability

Through resin technology, a substance used to make durable casting, arts and crafts. The carbon frame is way more rigid than titanium and other types of steel. Composites and manufacturing methods refinements improve carbon strength to weight ratio. However, always recognize that cost influences the quality of construction as well.

Strength to Weight

Typically, carbon-built frame gravel bikes weigh 15 to 21 lbs (6.8 – 9.5 kg). Even though it can be made lightweight, the construction of these bike frames and their building materials is costly.

A carbon-built frame with affordable elements can also weigh the same as a well-crafted aluminum frame with high-end parts and touchpoints. Still, the wheels and other gear also influence bike weight.

Tubing

Unlike other bike frames, the carbon frame is rust-resistant and has no edgy welded profile. Carbon tubing construction starts as a polymer, which takes under repetitive and various heating procedures into long strings of carbon atoms. 

These long strands or filaments sit at about 5 to microns in diameter. Every diameter increase boosts the tube’s strength and stiffness. But it is crucial to equally deliberate all the building materials based on standard process depending on your riding style and characteristics.

Carbon Gravel Bikes: Pros

  • Easy to tune-in
  • Offers damping effect
  • The catastrophic failure point is higher
  • Customize stiffness and vibration distribution
  • Lightweight and cracks can be repaired easily
  • Proven durability
  • Less dense materials and improved bike handling
  • Last longer as carbon elements don’t fatigue

Carbon Gravel Bikes: Cons

  • More expensive
  • Not recyclable
  • Can fail without a warning

Aluminum Gravel Bikes

Aluminum is one of the pioneer building frame materials in the cycling industry. Apart from being low-cost, aluminum elements and alloys dominate composites manufacturing production as manufacturers can perform customization and specification in constructing frames.

Additionally, the aluminum-built frame is corrosion resistant and has a counterpart strength to weight ratio similar to steel. Most manufacturers offer aluminum stands with the same geometry and features at the most affordable price as other frame models.

Properties

Hydroforming, which uses hydraulic pressure to form aluminum alloy by pressing it, allows manufacturers to optimize the weight and ride characteristics. Alloyed with other metal materials aluminum frame with tremendous strength to weight ratio can be achieved.

Through the advancement of technology, good aluminum often upstages other building frame materials. The damping and stiffness effect will also be established to match your needs and refinements at the most affordable price. 

Function

Aluminum-built frames can last longer depending on your handling technique and riding style. Furthermore, it can be molded in aerodynamic shapes reducing air resistance during your ride. One more function of this bike frame is it doesn’t flex laterally no matter how hard you pedal.

Lastly, it is rust-resistant, while cracks and other damages should be avoided and repaired quickly.

Rideability

Before other rigid bike frame building materials existed, aluminum was the best pick for riders and cyclists. It is lightweight, stiff, affordable, and easy to handle. In handling, responsiveness, and comfort, aluminum is harsher. This is because the construction of tubes involves butting to remove unnecessary elements and materials (the more butting, the more compliant and responsive the bike frame will be). 

Durability

Aside from it being highly recyclable, aluminum can withstand and resist more complex impacts without leaving any cracks and damage. You can also climb with luggage and use your built frame for rock touring. However, It is less safe as it doesn’t give any signs before failing.

However, aluminum frames often can’t be repaired if the cracks are neglected. The only solution you can choose is the welding and heating process; unfortunately, it is challenging to look for shops that can do these jobs. Also, the repair process and materials are expensive. 

Strength to Weight

Commonly aluminum gravel bikes weigh 22 to 29 lbs. (8.2 – 13.15 kg.). It is much heavier, unlike carbon frames which weigh between 5 to 21 lbs. (6.8 – 9.5 kg.). The materials used in constructing the aluminum frame are denser than materials for carbon frame construction. 

On top of this, the aluminum-built gravel bike will accelerate more quickly than the carbon-built gravel bike when riding downhill. There are no long gaps between the two frames as they have different riding techniques and purposes; sorting out what suits you is more important. 

Tubing

Aluminum’s traditional frames are similar to the tubing measurement of steel. Through the innovation in the cycling manufacturing industry, there are “aluminum alloy frames” existing to butted up repetitively the aluminum materials. This process makes them thinner and more lightweight to achieve a stable and safe ride.

With that, previous aluminum frames with a harsh ride reputation are possible out of the table in the cycling industry in the next few years.

Aluminum Gravel Bikes: Pros

  • Affordable and Inexpensive
  • Customize and aerodynamic shapes
  • Less dense materials lead to fast construction
  • Energy Efficient
  • Rust-resistant
  • Corrosion-resistant

Aluminum Gravel Bikes: Cons

  • Hard to repair
  • Lack of stiffness and comfort absorption
  • Fails without giving any warnings
  • Much heavier than the carbon-built frame