this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2024
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Disagree on carbon. Unless you're in a pretty gnarly crash, the odds that you're going to break the frame are quite low (unless you're talking about some of the ridiculously expensive frames that have disclaimers about not being suitable for riders over 160#). Carbon has the benefit of being entirely immune to corrosion of any kind, although the resins can, eventually, weaken from UV exposure. I would not suggest steel at all; it's entirely too easy for the frame to start rusting. That's a real problem for something that you commute with, and even worse if you live in an area where they salt the roads. Aluminum should be great for most people. Be warned though - aluminum can rot out via galvanic corrosion if you ride on salted roads in the winter and there's another metal (brass, steel) in contact with the aluminum; I lost a few wheels that way. If you really love the way that steel feels, but don't want to worry about rusting, and you have very deep pockets, consider titanium. Titanium is also very resistant to corrosion.
For something that you're going to ride every single day, $2000 US seems about right. My last bike was about $1700 as a model-year closeout, about a decade ago, and was in the 18# range. Coming from a 26# 29er that I'd set up for road use, it felt fantastically quick and nimble.