Does it effect speed? Some aluminums are just as expensive as carbons, and some claim them to be faster, what is true?
Sea It is all about the handling and ride characteristics of the materialsThere are also aluminum frames with carbon stays and forksA highly tuned bike, I have yet to rideSome people, I for one, love the rigidity of the aluminum frameOthers like the dampening of a carbon frameI love both! The best way to find the frame you like is to ride both on a good, long, demo rideSee if you notice or prefer one over the otherThe compact frame allows the manufacturer to create three or four to cover all the body sizes instead of 10 in various sized framesThis is primarily accomplished with a sloping top bar, a shorter down tube, and an easily interchanged stem system Soccerref
