Bicycle frames were initially made of wood, until the advent of steel tubing, which continues to dominate to the present day. But aluminium alloys and aluminium-matrix composites, titanium and magnesium alloys, and carbon fibre composites now all compete with steel. This case study explores the competition, and rationalises the material selection using more advanced application of property charts.

This case study exploits property charts in a more complex way than the other case studies.

Learning Outcomes for this Section

After completing this section, you should be able to:

• understand the design requirements for bicycle frames;
• explain the competition between steel, aluminium and other materials;
• use material property charts to illustrate the trade-offs in lightweight or low cost design for stiffness and fatigue resistance;
• understand that cross-section shape has a significant influence in material selection for stiffness and strength, particularly leading to differences in optimal material choice for tension and for bending.

Pre-Requisites

You should be familiar with the concepts covered in: Property Definitions and Measurement; Introduction to Property Charts;