The frame is the essence of a road bike and also its strongest point. When buying a bike, the road bike frame should be the most important part.

Before you decide which frame to buy, you should know something about material, symmetry and sizes of bike frames so you can buy the bike that best suits your needs.

The first bike frames were of wood and steel

While road bike frames designs have not changed much over the years, the same can not be said of the materials, and its the material of the bike frame that separates the big boys from the rest.

Wood and than steel were the first materials used in the manufacturing of road bike frames. Bikes that are made out of steel are much heavier than bikes made of more modern and expensive materials.

Today, bike frame designs are different than they were only a few years ago. These changes have been prompted both from technological advances as well as changes in road conditions. When roads were rougher than they are today, bike frames designs had laid back angles and a longer wheel base.

Alloy bike frames

Bike frames took another step forward when the use of alloy tubes became possible. This made frames a lot lighter than the previous steel frames.

Nowadays, if you don´t want to spend $2000 on a bike, an alloy frame combined with a carbon fork, chain and seat are very popular combinations among bike buyers. Bikes sold at this price point are usually a good value for the money.

Bike frames made from titanium

The next option in terms of bike frame material is the titanium frame. Titanium bike frames are almost weightless and offer a great ride.

Titanium and carbon bike frames are much more expensive option, but these material can virtually forever.

A top of the line bikes mixes a titanium frame with carbon seat and fork. This is the perfect combination of comfort, handling and safety.

Sizes of road bike frames

Once you settle on the material and manufacturer of your bike frame. The size of the frame is the next thing to consider in your buying decision. If the size is not right, your ride will not be comfortable and can even be dangerous. When determining the right size bike frame there are a few thing to look at.

The length of the seat tube is the size of the frame.  Bike frame sizes are measured in centimeters. A good estimate for your bike frame size is 0.65 of your inseam length. You just measure your inseam, convert that to centimeters (1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters) and multiply by 0.65. Using this technique an inseam length of 34 would give a bike frame size of 56. If you are buying a mountain bikes you should get a frame size that is 10 to 12 centimeters smaller.

When an exact size is not possible this can be corrected by adjusting the seat height. Another distance to consider is that of the part of the frame that holds the pedals and cranks to the seat.  This measurement should be about 0.88 of your inseam size.

Once you find the right road bike frame size, the rest of the bike should fit perfectly, with minor adjustments to the seat height as described.

Good luck buying your road bike and enjoy some fun and safe rides!

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