Bicycle Materials

Bicycles and their parts are made from different materials. Each one affects how light, strong, comfortable and long-lasting a bike is. Choose a material below to learn what it is, where it is used, and its main advantages and disadvantages.

Black-and-white study of a bicycle frame and handlebar against a black background
Photo: Josh Nuttall / Unsplash
Close-up of black woven carbon fibre fabric, showing the criss-cross pattern of the fibre bundles
Photo: Acheolg, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized by VeloVerse. This adapted version is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Carbon Fibre

A composite made from layers of carbon fibre sheets bonded with resin. Engineers can arrange the layers to make a part stiff in one direction and more flexible in another.

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Stack of rusty steel pipes seen end-on
Photo: engin akyurt / Unsplash

Steel

A strong and durable iron-based alloy. It is used for frames as well as for parts that wear quickly, such as chains, cassette sprockets and brake rotors.

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