[Closed] Alu Road Frames - are they all ugly?

Function over form for us Alu users....

Genesis do some traditional looking ones, if that's what you consider nice...
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I find skinny steel frames look too spindly in general and lugs are the ugliest things going...

I used to own bikes that were like that. Luckily things have moved on for the better 😉

Beauty, beholder, etc...

One of mine
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I've got one of these. Always seemed pretty enough to me, but I'm usually looking at the view rather than the bike.
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I suppose I might get mocked for this but I used to have one of these (in a different colour) that I thought was pretty nice looking.

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Not really a road bike...but its a start [img] [/img] Back in the day when we rode skinny steel frames, everyone was oohing and arring over the fat tubed Alu frames.. 😉

CAAD 10?

I've got one of these:
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This one, actually:

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I think it's beautiful. 🙂

I think it's the welds I've got issues with, the two Italian numbers are especially nice.

Mine has no welds.

It's bonded - lovely smooth finish.

Rides like a piece of crap, sadly 😀
The most uncomfortable frame I've ever had - still love it to pieces though. 🙂

😀 @ Rusty..

so the answer looks to be .. yes.

so the answer looks to be .. yes.

dale - CAAD 10 - looks tidy - rides nice

The Giannini Motta primo frames Merlin are knocking out for £100 are very nice in the flesh and pretty light to boot.

I am undoubtedly biased but I have an Orbea Aqua alu frame that I think looks great.

my friend's Genesis aether looks very handsome with it's mid-grey paintwork and nearly-skinny tubing.

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most modern bikes look a bit too 'max power' for my tastes...

My alu/carbon framed road bike, bought primarily for its svelte, stealthy look. The fact that it's nice to ride is a bonus:

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Older Cannondales with the big phat tubes look quite gocd as well.

A nice Alu frame

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I've got one of these:

This one, actually:

Well yours does at least look significantly nicer than your first example - I was all set to slate that.

Clearly it's all down to your personal tastes otherwise though if you're into the traditional look, how about this?

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neilsonwheels - Member
The Giannini Motta primo frames Merlin are knocking out for £100 are very nice in the flesh and pretty light to boot.

Hi mate, noticed you put an enquiry about these on the site a couple of months ago? Did you go ahead and make the purchase and if so, your thoughts would be appreciated as Ive been looking at these as well. Cheers 🙂

I forgot an obvious exception: the King of Smooth welds and Aluminium tubes.

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Concentrate on the loveliness of the frame and exclude the horrible pink bar tape.

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Another vote for a CAAD 10

Giant TCR in dual lacquer. I'm asked if it is titnanium on almost every ride.

[img] https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTlf4dDWDZXJ0VFeM3i8___kdNzIo6lg8WC5ml5_3GZ9IJi7gAK [/img]

Mine now sports a full carbon Ritchey fork.

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8544/8616901338_2dbb0200d7_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8544/8616901338_2dbb0200d7_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

An ally frame earlier today. Sorry it's not in the big ring. Rides really rather well - better than my steel Condor.

trailofdestruction - is that yours? Awesome stem height / angle! :)Slamtastic!

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My latest isn't too minging in my opinion.
For 100 quid on ebay it rides at least as well as the ti Lynskey it replaced as well.

[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8187986494_760d9cbe59.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8187986494_760d9cbe59.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/8187986494/ ]IMAG1558[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img]

These look lovely in the flesh, and unlike their cheaper carbon frames, these are still Italian made.
[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8100/8617756292_880a578518.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8100/8617756292_880a578518.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikes_and_stuff/8617756292/ ]milin[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/bikes_and_stuff/ ]bmclynskey1[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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Ok, so we've established there are some nice looking Alu road frames out there.

But there's not one that's made be go f*** me that's really nice.

The 2 Italian Jobs, CAAD 10, S Works and Giants have come the closest.

That last Kinesis rocks...

I do believe...I'm winning
There's definitely a movement amongst some manufacturers that they can produce a better high end ali frameset (with forging/pressing/hydro forming technology) for a given price point than a low end carbon frameset for the same money.Which is interesting.

Ok, so we've established there are some nice looking Alu road frames out there.

But there's not one that's made be go f*** me that's really nice.

Obviously I feel really bad about this. Sorry.

But there's not one that's made be go f*** me that's really nice

vdubber67 - Not mine no, but I did own one. A lovely, lovely bike, which I could wax lyrical about ( but won't for fear of boring the arse off everyone ).

It made me wonder whether I actually needed that carbon frame I so desperately wanted, as if this is what you could do with aluminium, why spend the extra cash ?

I sold it due to not really getting on with those big metal boxes I had to share the road with. Still miss it occasionally though.

Obviously I feel really bad about this. Sorry.

Don't apologise, just try harder! 😉

vdubber67 - Not mine no, but I did own one. A lovely, lovely bike, which I could wax lyrical about ( but won't for fear of boring the arse off everyone

Bore away.

lazybike - Member
Oh come on, now you're just being awkward

Aawkward! me, never. I just want to be impressed.

Rorschach - Member
I do believe...I'm winning

Yes you seem to be and your prize is.....

Canyons look nice I think:
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This also looks nice:
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Also agree that Giant's Hydroformed frames are very nice. I love the look of my TCR, but it's kind of cheating as the top half is carbon.

The Sensa does look nice indeed, particularly around the headtube intersections. The tubes flow into each other very nicely.