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Bike Frames

Bike frames are the foundation around which a bike is built. If the wheels are the feet and the rider the brain and hands, a bike’s frame is the body. Depending on the application a bike frame will change significantly. Frames today bear only a passing resemblance to their ancestors.

There are several main components to a traditional bike frame that are laid out in a diamond. The bulk of the frame is taken up by the seat post, the top post, and the down tube. The seat post runs diagonally through the short cross-section of a diamond. At the bottom are the pedals, and out of the top rises the seat post. The top post runs along the top of the bike from the seat post to the head tube, which connects the handlebars to the front wheel fork. The down tube connects the head post back to the pedals. Extending back from the top and bottom ends of the seat post are the seat and chain stabilizers, or stays. They complete the diamond shape.

Bike frames have been reinvented several times since their inception. The first bike frames were made of heavy metals such as steel or iron. Later the frame weight was reduced by creating hollow tubes. These tubes were lighter in weight while not sacrificing structural integrity. Following space design innovations, frames were later made of aluminum alloys to further lighten their weight. With the advent of carbon fiber a bike frame could be made ultra strong, while weighing less than three pounds.

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