Bikes can be made from all sorts of different materials, from less common metals like magnesium all the way down to wood or bamboo.

But in the current market there are four materials that are by far the most popular: carbon fibre, aluminium, steel and titanium. All four of these have different properties and will give you a bike with a different feel to the others.

The best part is, though, that you can make a superb bike out of all four of those materials, so in a way you can’t go wrong with whatever choice your make.

Ultimately your decision should be made with regard to what you want the bike for. For example, if you’re planning on commuting on it you should be thinking about affordability and durability, and that might knock carbon out of the equation. On the other hand, if you’re off to the Alps and want the lightest possible ride then steel probably won’t be at the top of your list.

So if you can make a top quality bike from carbon fibre, aluminium, steel and titanium, how do you go about choosing the frame material that’s right for you? We’ll run through the pros and cons of each over the following pages.