Bike Material Question

[alembical]

I was thinking the other day about all the carbon-something bikes that there are nowadays, even going back to the old Specialized epic and I am sure some before them. Most of these bikes talk about combing the characteristics of two materials. The same thoughts are discussed when talking about the tubing choices within a bike, such as this type of steel and this type there. This made me wonder, have there been successful selling bikes that have combined AL and Steel, steel & Ti, Ti & AL? If so, they have not sold near as well as the carbon-something bikes. Is there a problem joinign steel and AL together or Steel and Ti. It seems like the same arguments for purchasing bikes like the Ottrot could have been made long ago for a AL/steel bike, like an AL downtube, bb, and ht (for stiffness and responsiveness) and steel rear triangle and top tube (for comfort). Or the opposite positioning, but you get my point. Where weren't these type of bike popular?

Alembical,
(who happens to know very little about metals, bike manufacturing, joining of materials, characteristics of different materials, etc....)

[shinomaster]

Friend,

I believe that trek marketed a bike with an aluminum front with a steel rear end. I assume the frame was bonded with a good sticky glue as I see quite a few of them still on the road.
Maybe it's just too difficult to bond steel to Ti. Or maybe there is no reason too. Most builders offered an all Ti frame an upgrade to steel, as it's lighter. I bet that a good frame could be made with a lighter Ti front with a more stiff ferrous back side. Or I could be full of B.S. as usual...

Sincerely,

Not yet, but soon to be hung-over Shino Drunkard... Belgian beer is just sooo good.