Heavier riders always need sturdier and more rigid bike frame to support their body weight. But with light weight people there are no such issues. It can be bit of a hassle for light weight people, managing a heavy bicycle or one made from heavier material.
Sturdiness is usually mixed up with heavy weight. Sleek looking frames can be as sturdy as any. It all depends on the material used. The manufacturers are continually developing new materials for bicycle frames. Bicycles are not only used a neighbourhood knockabout means of transport or for travelling short distances.
People are buying bicycles to take care of their fitness as many go riding every morning or on weekends instead of jogging. Others are interested in its sporting value and use the bicycle for hitting the roads, the off roads, doing cross country and for rolling up mountainous terrain.
But there are no statistics of only heavy weight people opting for mountain bikes. Even those who are light in weight indulge in this most adventurous sport. Mountain bikes are a heavier duty and usually made from titanium; this is more costly but lighter than building with steel. But still compared to normal bikes, the mountain bicycle frame is heavier as it undergoes use and abuse.
Bikes that are of heavy weight are those made from steel and it has been the traditional material for bicycle frames over many years. In a way if you are not doing cross country or biking up the mountains, you would prefer lighter bicycles. But that does not again mean that people who weigh less are not suitable for heavier bikes made from steel.
How do you think people managed decades ago when steel was the only material frames were made of? In the past, were more bicycle riders heavy? It does not depend on the material as long as you are not into some specific activity. For adventure riding you would always require and of course prefer to be on a heavier bicycle frame. Then again, you could argue that in those days there was no alternative to steel and even light weight people had to go about in those heavy bicycles.
With lots of technically advanced bicycle frames coming into the market nowadays, options are many. The most wanted and suitable bicycle frame for light weight people is made from lighter material. It's simple to handle, while using steel for the bicycle frame can be harder to manipulate and steer. It's mostly because there are many more options now rather than the difficulty of managing a steel bike frame.
Steel bicycle frames are always long lasting and have a high tensile strength. For lightweight people a bicycle frame would depend how much time they would be on their bikes. If they ride long hours even on suburban or city roads, then Chromoly steel could be a preferred option. Longer rides are difficult on steel framed bikes. Chromoly molybdenum steel is light, yet a strong steel alloy.
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