6061 Aluminum Bike Frame Weight

Read on for the how and why and we ll help you navigate the materials market.

6061 aluminum bike frame weight.

The heat treated aluminum is a lot stronger for reasons we talked about last time. Due to its inherent hardness 7005 aluminum bikes feel rougher when you ride them. Originally called alloy 61s it was developed in 1935. Neither looks nor rides like aluminum.

It has good mechanical properties exhibits good weldability and is very commonly extruded second in popularity only to 6063. 6061 and 7005 are the most common types of aluminum used for bike frames. Most city bikes are built on either steel frames or aluminum frames and which one you pick will impact the quality of your ride and the life of your bike. So most cyclists will not notice a small difference in weight frames if of course they will not have long to climb the mountains on a bike or below.

The aluminum tubes that create the bikes frame can be shaped to be more aerodynamic than a standard aluminum frame. Aluminum bicycle frames are made mainly of aluminum alloys. Technology has advanced since the first aluminum bikes were created. It is one of the most common alloys of aluminum for general purpose use.

On a carbon bike the catastrophic failure point is much higher than an aluminum bike due to the flex qualities of the carbon material. Used for bike frames are 6061 and 7005. Which aim to reduce frame weight even further. The 6061 alloy is softer making the bike s ride more comfortable.

Just as one impact of this nature could break an aluminum frame and not a carbon frame repeated stresses in this manner would cause an aluminum frame to break sooner as well. 6061 uns designation a96061 is a precipitation hardened aluminum alloy containing magnesium and silicon as its major alloying elements. There will be a further designation indicating the tempering process often t6 the alloy has gone through. Pure aluminum isn t strong enough to use for bicycle frame building.

6061 is considered the better. Elongation is the science word that tells you how much the metal stretches before it breaks. Aluminum alloys for bicycle frames 6061 or 7005. The aluminum frame will hold up to corrosion so your bike will resist rust and damage due to chemical exposure for years.

It looks like our 6061 t6 gets 12 longer before it comes apart. You might not realize it but bike frames bend when you ride the bike. There are two main aluminium alloys in use in the bike industry today 6061 and 7005. Of the two 6061 is slightly better due to its lower weight.

Well made aluminium frames had a better stiffness to weight ratio than steel. Usually aluminum is mixed with silicon magnesium or zinc to make it stronger and more durable. They absorb bumps and road vibration. You can hang 45000 pounds from a one inch square rod of 6061 t6 before it will break in two.

Types of aluminum bike frames.