bike - Bicycle frame
Photograph by Velo Steveon Flickr.
One of the most successful older steels was Reynolds 531 , a manganese-molybdenum alloy steel. This is intended to provide the desired stiffness, compliance, or damping in different areas better than can be accomplished with a single bike Devonwood Bike Trail material.
This is known as the diamond frame. In the diamond frame, the main triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. Opinion is divided on the riding merits of the compact frame, but several manufacturers claim that a reduced range of sizes can fit most riders, and that it is easier to build a frame without a perfectly level top tube. Road bicycles for racing tend to have a steeper seat tube angle, measured from the horizontal plane.
Occasionally, diamond (shaped) frames have been formed from sections other than tubes. Alternative step-through designs include leaving out the top tube out completely, and twin top tubes that continue to the rear dropouts as with the Mixte frame. Control cables are routed along mounts on the top tube, or sometimes inside the top tube.
The wider range of frame geometries that are now made have given rise to different ways of measuring frame size; see the discussion by Sheldon Brown. On racing bicycles and some mountain and hybrid bikes, the derailleur cables run along the down tube, or inside the down tube.
It consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. Various shapes focus on one or another of these goals, and seldom accomplish all. Titanium is perhaps the most exotic and expensive metal commonly used for bicycle frame tubes.
Compact geometry road frames have a lower center of gravity and tend to have a shorter wheelbase and smaller rear triangle, which give the bike quicker handling. Also many riders feel thin-walled lightweight steel frames have a liveliness or springiness quality to their ride. If the tubing label has been lost, a high-quality (chromoly or manganese) steel frame can be recognized by tapping it sharply with a flick of the fingernail.
The mould was then heated to melt the thermoplastic. Also, since steel tubing can rust (although in practice paint and anti-corrosion sprays can effectively prevent rust), the lugged frame allows a fast tube replacement with virtually no physical damage to the neighbouring tubes. A more economical method of bicycle frame construction uses cylindrical steel tubing connected by TIG welding, which does not require lugs to hold the tubes together.
In addition to bottle cages, small air pumps may be fitted to these mounts as well. The seat tube contains the seatpost of the bike, which connects to the saddle. It is at its strongest at around 200:1 (diameter:wall thickness), whereas steel is a small fraction of that.
Sometimes, on higher-end bikes, they are sculpted to allow clearance for the rear wheel and cranks. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (often at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear dropouts. Some newer high end frames are incorporating Kevlar fibers into the carbon weaves to improve vibration damping and impact strength, particularly in downtubes and seat- and chainstays. Thermoplastics, according to a study from 2001 done by the Advanced Technology Project (ATP), is a new material that is still within testing.
Another type of carbon fiber frames are manufactured in a single piece, called monocoque construction. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube, and paired chain stays and seat stays.
Non-round tubes are used for a variety of reasons, including stiffness, aerodynamics, and marketing. More common now is 4130 ChroMoly or similar alloys.
The total height from the ground to this point is called the height lever. The down tube connects the head tube to the bottom bracket shell. The rear triangle connects to the rear dropouts, where the rear wheel is attached.
Thus, aluminum bicycle tubing is a compromise, offering a wall thickness to diameter ratio that is not of utmost efficiency, but gives us oversized tubing of more reasonable aerodynamically acceptable proportions and good resistance to impact. The seat stays themselves may also provide a mounting point for rear rim or disc brakes.
Welded aluminum bicycle frames started to appear in the marketplace only after this type of welding became economical in the 1970s. Aluminum has a different optimal wall thickness to tubing diameter than steel. While handling and stability is reduced, these bicycles are designed to be ridden in environments with less group riding aspects.
This positions the rider more on the sit bones and takes weight off of the wrists, arms, neck and, for men, improves circulation to the urinary and reproductive areas. This takes advantage of the better vibration absorption of carbon fiber compared to aluminum. The bottom bracket shell is a short and wide tube, relative to the other tubes in the frame, that runs side to side and holds the bottom bracket.
However, despite some early commercial success, there were problems with reliability and manufacture stopped in 1992. Reportedly, a major problem with these frames is corrosion caused by the chemical reactivity of magnesium. Once the thermoplastic cooled it was removed from the mould in its final form. A handful of bicycle frames are made from magnesium which has around 64% the density of aluminum.
This style of frame has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years due to its greater comfort compared to Mountain bicycles or Road bicycles. The development of sophisticated suspension systems in the 1990s quickly resulted in many modifications to the classic diamond frame. Recent mountain bicycles with rear suspension systems have a pivoting rear triangle to actuate the rear shock absorber.
Reynolds and Columbus are two of the most famous manufacturers of bicycle tubing. GT Bicycles was one of the first major manufacturers to produce a thermoplastic frame with their STS System frames in the mid 1990s.
Step-through frames usually have a top tube that slopes down steeply to allow the rider to mount and dismount the bicycle more easily. Frames can also be made from aluminum alloys, titanium, carbon fiber, and even bamboo.
In a mountain bike frame, the top tube is almost always sloped downward toward the seat tube. Other characteristics include a long wheelbase, upwards of 40 inches (often between 43 and 47 inches, or 57 inches for a longbike), and a long fork rake, often of about 3 inches (76mm compared to 40mm for most road bicycles).
The longer wheelbase contributes to effective shock absorption. When the rear derailleur cable is routed partially along the down tube, it is also routed along the chain stay.
On newer ones, they are mounted with the brake levers on the handlebars. Bottle cage mounts are also on the down tube, usually on the top side, sometimes also on the bottom side. Instead, frame tubes are precisely aligned into a jig and fixed in place until the welding is complete.
A fillet braze frame can achieve more aesthetic unity (smooth curved appearance) than a welded frame. Among steel frames, using butted tubing reduces weight and increases cost. In an integrated headset, cartridge bearings interface directly with the surface on the inside of the head tube, on non-integrated headsets the bearings (in a cartridge or not) interface with cups pressed into the head tube. The top tube, connects the top of the head tube to the top of the seat tube.
Touring and comfort bicycles tend to have more slack seat tube angle traditionally. On older racing bicycles, the shift levers were mounted on the down tube.
However, higher-quality bicycle frames are made of high strength steel alloys (generally chromium-molybdenum, or chromoly steel alloys) which can be made into lightweight tubing with very thin wall gauges. Some disadvantages are that an aluminum frame doesn t have the same feel to an experienced cyclist as a steel frame, excessive ride harshness in lower quality frames, and decreased ease of repairability. Popular alloys for bicycle frames are 6061 aluminum and 7005 aluminum. The most popular type of construction today uses aluminum alloy tubes that are connected together by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding.
This contrasts with some steel and titanium alloys, which have clear fatigue limits and are easier to weld or braze together. There are a few standard shell diameters (34.798 - 36 mm) with associated thread pitches (24 - 28 tpi). The length of the tubes, and the angles at which they are attached define a frame geometry.
The head tube contains the headset, the interface with the fork. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube, and paired chain stays and seat stays. The head tube contains the headset, the bearings for the fork via its steerer tube.
The saddle height is adjustable by changing how far the seatpost is inserted into the seat tube. It is more difficult to machine than steel or aluminum, which sometimes limits its uses and also raises the effort (and cost) associated with this type of construction. Carbon fiber, a composite material, is an increasingly popular non-metallic material commonly used for bicycle frames. Some carbon fiber frames use cylindrical tubes that are joined with adhesives and lugs, in a method somewhat analogous to a lugged steel frame.
The shell width influences the Q factor or tread of the bike. It is more labor intensive, and consequently is less likely to be used for production frames.
www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html A classic type of construction for both road bicycles and mountain bicycles uses standard cylindrical steel tubes which are connected with lugs. There is much manufacturer variation in the frame design of full-suspension mountain bicycles, and different designs for different riding purposes. Roadster bicycles traditionally have a fairly slack seat-tube and head-tube angle of about 66 or 67 degrees, which produces a very comfortable and upright sit-up-and-beg riding position.
cf. Early aluminum structures have shown to be more vulnerable to fatigue, either due to ineffective alloys, or imperfect welding technique being used.
The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle. The seatpost must be inserted at least a certain length; this is marked with a minimum insertion mark. The seat tube also may have braze-on mounts for a bottle cage or front derailleur. The chain stays run parallel to the chain, connecting the bottom bracket shell to the rear dropouts.
It has also been suggested that these materials are vulnerable to fatigue failure, a process which occurs with use over a long period of time. Many racing bicycles built for individual time trial races and triathlons employ composite construction because the frame can be shaped with an aerodynamic profile not possible with cylindrical tubes, or would be excessively heavy in other materials. However, some of these disadvantages have since been partly negated, with more skilled labor capable of producing better quality welds, automation, and the greater accessibility of the same modern aluminum alloys as used in commercial airliners structures, assuring strength and reliability comparable to steel frames.
A dual seat stay refers to seat stays which meet the front triangle of the bicycle at two separate points, usually side-by-side. A variation on this type of bicycle is the sports roadster (also known as the light roadster ), which typically has a lighter frame, and a slightly steeper seat-tube and head-tube angle of about 70 to 72 degrees. There are many variations on the basic diamond frame design. The cycle types article describes additional variations. It is also possible to add couplers either during manufacturing or as a retrofit so that the frame can be disassembled into smaller pieces to facilitate packing and travel. Generally, the tubes of the frame are made of steel.
Hence the designs that lack a seat tube or top tube are not allowed. Triathlon or time trial specific frames rotate the rider forward around the axis of the bottom bracket of the bicycle as compared to the standard road bicycle frame. Aluminum s attractive strength to weight ratio as compared with steel, and certain mechanical properties, assure it a place among the favored frame-building materials (for example, a very strong rider, who does lots of hill-climbing, may prefer the stiffness of aluminum).
This tube was placed into a mould with a bladder inside which was then inflated to force the carbon and plastic tube against the inside of the mould. The carbon fibers were loosely woven into a tube along with fibers of thermoplastic.
Most commonly, this includes the cable for the rear brake, but some mountain bikes and hybrid bicycles also route the front and rear derailleur cables along the top tube. The space between the top tube and the rider s groin while straddling the bike and standing on the ground is called clearance. The ATP pioneered the use of cyclic thermoplastics in automotive components.
Besides additional bracing, this provides a mounting point for rear brakes, fenders, and racks. This results in a frame that is significantly stiffer than steel.
A single stay can provide stiffer mounting points for cantilever brakes. Fastback seat stays meet the seat tube in the back instead of the sides. There may be a bridge or brace that connects the stays above the rear wheel and below the connection with the seat tube. For instance, a road bicycle will place the handlebars in a lower and further position relative to the saddle giving a more crouched riding position; whereas a utility bicycle emphasizes comfort and has higher handlebars resulting in an upright riding position. Frame geometry also affects handling characteristics.
A few medium-quality bicycles used these steel alloys for only some of the frame tubes. The trade-off is comfort.
With slacker angle, designers lengthen the chainstay so that the center of gravity (that would otherwise be farther to the back over the wheel) is more ideally repositioned over the middle of the bike frame. See Road and triathlon bicycles for more information on geometries.
More expensive lugged frame bicycles have lugs which are filed by hand into fancy shapes - both for weight savings and as a sign of craftsmanship. The tubes are fitted into the lugs, which encircle the end of the tube, and are then brazed to the lug.
A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and other components are fitted. In a compact-geometry frame, the top tube is sloped downward toward the seat tube.
The combined materials are usually carbon fiber and a metal, either steel, aluminum, or titanium. In a traditional-geometry racing bicycle frame, the top tube is horizontal.
On the other hand, lateral and twisting (torsional) stiffness improves acceleration and handling in some circumstances. Aluminum frames are generally recognized as having a lower weight than steel, although this is not always the case. Lugs are fittings made of thicker pieces of steel.
Materials that have been used in these frames include wood (solid or laminate), magnesium (cast I-beams), and thermoplastic. This lightness makes it easier to ride uphill, and to accelerate on the flat.
Several properties of a material help decide whether it is appropriate in the construction of a bicycle frame: Tube engineering and frame geometry can overcome much of the perceived shortcomings of these particular materials. Steel frames are often built using various types of steel alloys including chromoly. The chain stays, seat tube, and down tube all typically connect to the bottom bracket shell. There are a few traditional standard shell widths (68, 70 or 73 mm).
In comparing different frame geometries, designers often compare the seat tube angle, head tube angle, (virtual) top tube length, and seat tube length. In the 1980s, an engineer, Frank Kirk, devised a novel form of frame that was die cast in one piece and composed of I beams rather than tubes.
An inexpensive aluminum frame may be heavier than an expensive steel frame. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (often at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear dropouts. The diamond frame consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle.
Such parts are used in Ford s Aston Martin model automobile. A high-quality frame will produce a bell-like ring where a regular-quality steel frame will produce a dull thunk.
Although one survived 265 grueling kilometers of the Paris-Roubaix race, aesthetic appeal has often been as much of a motivator as ride characteristics. A recent innovation is the construction of frames out of tubes of different materials. Conversely, this very argument calls the claim of aluminium frames having greater vertical stiffness into question.
Unless care is taken during assembly of the bicycle, there is likely to be galvanic corrosion at points where steel or aluminum components attach to the frame. Some manufacturers of bikes make frames out of scandium-aluminum alloy, usually referred to simply as scandium. Several bicycle frames have been made of bamboo tubes connected with steel or carbon fiber lugs. Butted aluminum tubes—where the wall thickness of the middle sections are made to be thinner than the end sections—are used by some manufacturers for weight savings.
Usually, no rear mount is provided on a fixed gear or track frame. When the rear derailleur cable is routed partially along the top tube, it is also usually routed along the seat stay. It was originally developed by Ford Motor Company Scientific Research Laboratory and General Electric Research and Development within a joint venture.
Occasionally (principally on frames made since the late 1990s) mountings for disc brakes will be attached to the chain stays. As many titanium frames can be much more expensive than similar steel alloy frames, cost can put them out of reach for many cyclists.
A company, Kirk Precision Ltd, was established in Britain to manufacture both road bike and mountain bike frames with this technology. There are many variation, such as an eccentric bottom bracket, which allows for adjustment in tension of the bicycle s chain.
An example was the Schwinn Le tour (at least certain models), which used chromoly steel for the top and bottom tubes but used lower-quality steel for the rest of the frame. A high-quality steel frame is lighter than a regular steel frame. Some modern bicycles have shell widths of 83 or 100 mm and these are for specialised downhill mountain biking or snowbiking applications.
The chain stays run parallel to the chain, connecting the bottom bracket to the rear dropouts. These frames tend to have steep seat tube angles and low head tubes, and shorter wheelbase for the correct reach from the saddle to the handlebar.
However, at this ratio, the wall thickness would be comparable to that of a beverage can, far too fragile against impacts. Typical medium sizes are 54 or 56 cm (approximately 21.2 or 22 inches) for a European men s racing bicycle or 46 cm (about 18.5 inches) for a men s mountain bicycle.
Fillet brazing is another method of joining frame tubes without lugs. Intellectual proprietary rights were sold to Cyclics Corporation which is using the process to produce such items as recyclable bicycle frames. One implementation of thermoplastic bicycle frames are essentially carbon fiber frames with the fibers embedded in a thermoplastic material rather than the more common epoxy materials.
Many common titanium alloys and even specific tubes were originally developed for the aerospace industry. Titanium frame tubes are almost always joined by Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding , although vacuum brazing has been used on early frames. These include I-beams and monocoque.
While many riders claim that steel frames give a smoother ride than aluminum because aluminum frames are designed to be stiffer, that claim is of questionable validity: the bicycle frame itself is extremely stiff vertically because it is made of triangles, the sides of which do not change in length under stress. Broadly speaking, the road bicycle geometry is categorized as either a traditional geometry with a horizontal top tube, or a compact geometry with a sloping top tube. Traditional geometry road frames are often associated with more comfort and greater stability, and tend to have a longer wheelbase which contribute to these two aspects.
Steel frames can be very inexpensive carbon steel to highly specialised using high performance alloys. On some bikes, this is achieved using a quick release lever.
It combines many desirable characteristics, including a high strength to weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance. To complete the specification of a bicycle for use, the rider adjusts the relative positions of the saddle, pedals and handlebars: The geometry of the frame depends on the intended use.
They can also be recognized by their weight (around 2.5 kg for frame and forks) and the type of lugs and dropouts used. Aluminum alloys have a lower density and lower strength compared with steel alloys, however, possess a better strength-to-weight ratio, giving them notable weight advantages over steel. As with TIG welding, Fillet frame tubes are precisely notched or mitered and then a fillet of brass is brazed onto the joint, similar to the lugged construction process.
While this type of frame may in fact be heavier than others, its aerodynamic efficiency may help the cyclist to attain a higher speed and consequently outweigh other considerations in such events. Other materials besides carbon fiber, such as metallic boron, can be added to the matrix to enhance stiffness further. Unlike MIG or TIG welded frames, a lugged frame can be more easily repaired in the field due to its simple construction.
The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top, and the down tube connects the head tube to the bottom bracket shell. One implementation of this approach includes a metal down tube and chain stays with carbon top tube, seat tube, and seat stays. A variety of small features -- bottle cage mounting holes, shifter bosses, cable stops, pump pegs, cable guides, etc.
Aesthetic appeal has often been as much of a motivator as ride characteristics. Several bicycle frames have been made of wood, either solid or laminate. It is usually threaded, often left-hand threaded on the right (drive) side of the bike to prevent loosening by fretting induced precession, and right-hand threaded on the left (non-drive) side.
Butting means that the wall thickness of the tubing changes from thick at the ends (for strength) to thinner in the middle (for lighter weight). Cheaper steel bicycle frames are made of mild steel, such as might be used to manufacture automobiles or other common items. Reasonable stiffness (roughly half that of steel) allow for many titanium frames to be constructed with standard tube sizes comparable to a traditional steel frame, although larger diameter tubing is becoming more common for more stiffness.
Road bikes usually use 68 mm; Italian road bikes use 70 mm; Early model mountain bikes use 73 mm; later models (1995 and newer) use 68 mm more commonly. They are strong, easy to work, and relatively inexpensive, but denser (heavier) than many other structural materials.
While these composite materials provide light weight as well as high strength, they have much lower impact resistance and consequently are prone to damage if crashed or mishandled. Touring frames tend to be longer, while racing frames are more compact. A road racing bicycle is designed for efficient power transfer at minimum weight and drag.
The reason for this is to put the rider in an even lower, more aerodynamic position. Additionally, since they are not goverened by the UCI, some triathlon bicycles, such as the Zipp 2001, Cheetah and Softride have non traditional frame layouts, which can produce better aerodynamics. Track frames have much in common with road and time trial frames, but come with rear-facing, horizontal fork ends, to allow one to adjust the position of the rear wheel horizontally to set the proper chain tension.
A style of seat stay that extends forward of the seat tube, below the rear end of the top tube and connects to the top tube in front of the seat tube, creating a small triangle, is called Hellenic after the British frame builder Fred Hellens who introduced them in 1923. The expressions single seat stay, mono stay or wishbone all refer to seat stays which merge onto one section before joining the front triangle of the bicycle, thus meeting at a single point. In modern mass-manufactured touring and comfort bikes, the seat tube angle is negligibly slacker, perhaps because of the need to otherwise reset welding jigs in automated processes and thus increase manufacturing costs, and thus do not provide the comfort of traditionally made or custom made frames which do have noticeably slacker seat tube angles. Road racing bicycles that are used in UCI sanctioned races are governed by UCI regulations, which state among other things that the frame must consist of two triangles.
One combination aluminum/carbon fiber racing frame design uses carbon fiber for the seat stays and aluminum for all other tubes. Compact geometry also allows the top of the head tube to be above the top of the seat tube, decreasing standover height, and thus increasing standover clearance and lowering the center of gravity.
Historically, the lower temperatures associated with brazing (silver brazing in particular) had less of a negative impact on the tubing strength than high temperature welding, allowing relatively light tube to be used without loss of strength. It is typically larger, unthreaded, and sometimes split.
Also the seat tube angle is steeper than road racing bikes. For ride comfort and better handling, shock absorbers are often used; there are a number of variants, including full suspension models, which provide shock absorption for the front and rear wheels; and front suspension only models (hardtails) which deal only with shocks arising from the front wheel. There may be a small brace that connects the chain stays in front of the rear wheel and behind the bottom bracket shell. Chain stays can be straight or tapered tubes.
Recent advances in metallurgy ( air hardening ) have created tubing that is not adversely affected, or whose properties are even improved by high temperature welding temperatures, which has allowed both TIG & MIG welding to sideline lugged construction in all but a few high end bicycles. Steel tubing in traditional standard diameters is often less rigid than oversized tubing in other materials (due more to diameter than material); this flex allows for some shock absorption giving the rider a slightly less jarring ride compared to other more rigid tubings such as oversized aluminum.
This positions the rider aerodynamically and arguably in a stronger stroking position. For more information, see the Bicycle and motorcycle geometry and the Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics articles. Frame size was traditionally measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube.
