When purchasing an electric bike, it is important to have several factors in mind. Mostly when you think of buying an electric bike, undoubtedly, some of the things that run through your mind are things like:
- Price of the electric bike to check if it falls within the price range that fits your budget.
- Check whether the battery brand is among the best in terms of the battery size with great charging and recharging power that will last for a long time.
- See if the electric bike you want will serve your purpose in consideration of how, where, and when you want to use it.
- The appearance and looks of the electric bike you want.
- The range of the electric bike.
All the above factors mentioned above are some of the differentiators of the different electric bikes on the market that will help you purchase the best electric bike.
All the factors above are important and necessary, and the electric bike frame material of an electric bike frame. When purchasing an electric bike, most people hardly consider the frame of an electric bike, which is important to consider as the electric bike frame type determines the functioning of the bike, such as shock absorption and weight of the electric bike.
This article will discuss the common materials such as aluminum, magnesium, and carbon alloy that are used to design and build electric bikes that will guide you and help you when looking to purchase an electric bike. It can be hard to choose which frame bike is best, and so, therefore, this article will narrow down each frame bike material’s pros and cons, which will make your choice easier.
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Aluminum Alloy For Electric Bike Frames
Aluminum alloy-made electric bikes are among the best to go for if you are looking for a cheap, light fast-moving electric bike. Its lightness makes it easy to move fast and is commonly used by bike racers and recreational purposes. The characteristics of aluminum alloy will determine its advantages and disadvantages as electric bike frames are discussed below.
Advantages (Pros) Of Aluminum Alloy
Some of the factors that make aluminum a good alloy for an electric bike frame include:
- Cheap To Purchase: One of the advantages of aluminum compared to other metals is that it is cheap in terms of finances for you as the purchaser. This is because the making of the aluminum bikes is pretty cheap since the amount of time required to manufacture is less, and the skills required to make the bikes are not expensive to employ, which cuts down its price to a much more affordable one than other metals.
- Light in Weight: The lightweight aluminum alloy contributes to the fastness of an electric bike. This makes it an easy ride to work with, making it preferable for bike racers. It is undeniably lighter compared to magnesium alloy.
- Rust Resistant: Aluminum alloy has a low rusting ability compared to other bike frame alloys. This is effective if you are a bike rider or bike racer that rides through wet grounds as you need not worry about the rusting of the bike parts due to the aluminum alloy’s high resistance rusting power.
- It Is Faster: Aluminum electric bikes are faster than magnesium alloy electric bikes due to their lightweight.
- Its Stiffness: Aluminum electric bike frame stiffness makes riding easy, especially for bike racers. The transfer of pedaling force immediately makes it faster and easier to ride, especially in sharp corners and turns.
Disadvantages (Cons) Of Aluminum Alloy
Despite its advantages, aluminum alloy electric bikes also have a few disadvantages that make them less effective than other alloy electric bike frames. The cons of aluminum electric bikes are:
- Poor Shock Absorber: This is one of the disadvantages of aluminum alloy electric bikes as they have poor absorption of road vibrations, making them uncomfortable for the rider. This gives a poor riding experience, especially on bumpy roads.
- Complicated Welding Process: Once an aluminum-framed electric bike suffers damage and cracks, welding is complicated and requires much work. Nevertheless, the ability of the cracked aluminum-framed bike to perform effectively as before is reduced, and it won’t serve strongly as before.
- Low Durability and Life Span: Aluminum frames are prone to metal fatigue. Its lifespan is 2-3 years as its strength changes significantly the more you ride the electric aluminum bike than carbon-framed electric bikes.
- Less Comfortability: Due to the poor ability of aluminum-framed electric bikes to absorb shock and road vibrations, the road vibrations are directly transmitted to the rider making it less enjoyable and uncomfortable.
- Difficult To Repair: Aluminum electric frame bikes are more difficult to repair and more complicated as it requires a lot of time and expertise to fix the cracked bike.
- Easy To Break: Due to its light nature, it is easy for it to break, making it less preferable than carbon and magnesium, especially if ridden through rough trails.
Magnesium Alloy For Electric Bike Frames
Magnesium-designed bike frames are among the best popular bike frames. The magnesium electric bike frames have their distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Magnesium Alloy
- It is strong and less susceptible to accidents than aluminum alloyed electric bikes.
- The magnesium alloy bike frames have amazingly stronger wheels that are favorable for bike racers and mountain bikes.
- Magnesium bike frames are lighter compared to aluminum bike frames.
- The magnesium bike frames are amazingly cheaper compared to carbon fiber bike frames.
- The magnesium-framed electric bikes are more comfortable than aluminum as they are less stiff and have high tensile strength.
- Magnesium framed electric bikes are relatively cheaper and more affordable than carbon fiber electric bikes.
Disadvantages Of Magnesium Alloy
- Much energy is needed to manufacture magnesium-framed electric bicycles, making the process more complicated and expensive for the manufacturers.
- It is very soft compared to aluminum framed electric bikes making it easy to break and damage.
- Maintaining magnesium electric bikes is difficult as it is prone to rust and corrosion compared to aluminum electric bikes.
Carbon Fiber Alloy For Electric Bikes
Carbon fiber alloys have been regarded as the best material to manufacture electric bikes. As much as this said, carbon fiber electric bikes have advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Carbon Fiber Alloy
- It is relatively stronger and tougher than the aluminum and magnesium alloy frames.
- As light as magnesium and aluminum bike frames might be, carbon fiber is lighter.
- It is easy to customize compared to aluminum, making it possible and easier for more features and creations to be made off of it by manufacturers.
- It is more durable and sustainable compared to aluminum alloy electric bikes.
Disadvantages of Carbon Fiber Alloy
- It is more expensive than aluminum and magnesium alloy electric bike frames, making it harder to purchase, especially if you are on a tight budget.
- It is too light to be easily exposed to damage and breakage, especially on rough roads and trails.
Conclusion
With this article’s guidance, you will be able to pick the best electric bike frame that fits your taste and preference.