Why are fixies steel framed?

[Chris S]

Why are fixies and single-speed bikes steel framed? Why does aluminum never seem to be used?

 

[Landsurfer]

Carbon is used .... but good point ...

 

[fossyant]

They do indeed make alloy fixed gear bikes - just sold my 10 year old alloy fixed gear. Pearson sold the Touche - this was quite a common frame, as mine was exactly the same frame, but with a better paint job from my local LBS (much thicker paint on mine - I've compared both).

Although, I think my LBS is back to off the peg Reynolds 500 and 700 series steel bikes -

 

[si_c]

My thought would be price as welding steel requires less skill and experience than welding Aluminium.

There are Carbon and Aluminium framed Fixed/Single Speed/Track bikes but they tend to be the more expensive models - the lower cost "trendier" brands do tend to be steel.

 

[raleighnut]

Steel is by far the best material for any bike frame

 

[Venod]

Do you mean new ones ? if so cheapness and not too bothered about the weight spring to mind.
If you mean most you see being ridden out and about are steel, that could be because some of them are old steel frames that have long dropouts which is handy for adjustment.
I rode a Ti frame which had been cracked and repaired on fixed for a while it was very light in that setup, but because it had vertical dropouts I had to find a gear that was usable without a tensioner (I didn't want the addition of one) I think it involved using a half link.

 

[Cycleops]

Cheap steel frames are readily available for manufacturers, these can be specced with horizontal dropouts which don’t require the added expense of a chain tensioner.
Old steel frames have horizontal dropouts which make them prime candidates.

 

[MichaelW2]

Probably to do with scale of production of midrange bikes Large batches of bikes are more cheaply made from Al in big Taiwanese factories. Smaller production runs probably come out of the smaller steel workshops.

Specialised Langster is Al but Merida , one of the Big Five factories, own Specialzed and make them in Taiwan.

 

[si_c]

Steel is by far the best material for any bike frame

I'm finding it hard to find a fault in your reasoning That being said I am down to only one steel framed bike, the others are Alu.

 

[Sharky]

Both of mine are alu with carbon forks.
A lot of fixed bikes are based on old road frames with horizontal rear ends. These were always made of steel.

 

[sleuthey]

If you mean most you see being ridden out and about are steel, that could be because some of them are old steel frames have long dropouts which is handy for adjustment.

^^ this

 

[rogerzilla]

Carbon or alu bikes don't play nicely with track ends or horizontal dropouts generally as they are soft materials. Those that do exist usually have replaceable steel inserts for the track nuts/locknuts to bite into.

 

[palinurus]

I'm still commuting on my bargain Specialized Singlecross which has an alu frame. 10+ years back some of the large bike manufacturers were offering singlespeed road bikes so perhaps aluminium was more common for that short period.

 

[mcshroom]

My Trek 4th District is a 2011 model, so that would fit in with your theory. I think the sliding drop outs may be Stainless rather than aluminium on an otherwise aluminium frame/carbon fork bike.

SS/Fixed bikes are sometimes chosen for "style" as much as substance, so maybe it's the nice thin tubes you get building in steel? Or the retro look?

 

[Sharky]

+1 for the 10yr theory. One of mine - a Giant Bowery 72, comes from about 2008/10, and is alu. This was some anniversary model and I think they have discontinued SS models.