Post #2400855
2026-04-29 00:36 UTC
I refuse to believe that it isn't possible to design a reasonably affordable steel transportation bicycle
(meaning, it can carry everyday cargo and luggage for a typical office worker who carries a portable computer briefcase and a personal handbag and goes grocery shopping, but is not a "cargo bike", and is designed for all-weather, on-road comfort and stability)
with sufficient strength and stiffness to accommodate an electric motor conversion, while still being light enough not to need one.
Replies (1)
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@gcvsa@mstdn.plus 2026-04-29 00:44
What's important to remember about the difference between aluminium and steel in bicycle design is that while in the raw state, aluminium is lighter than steel, steel is much stronger, so you have to use a lot more aluminium to produce the same strength. Good quality aluminium alloy, however, is usually cheaper than high grade steel alloy, and aluminium is often easier to work with in automated production. Aluminium is also subject to work hardening. It gets brittle over time, and cracks.