The frame is the essence of a road bike and also its strongest point. If you are in the market for a new road bike than the road bike frame should be the part that gets most of your attention.

Before you decide which frame to buy, you should know something about material, symmetry and sizes of bike frames so you can buy the bike that best suits your needs.

While road bike frames designs have not changed much over the years, the same can not be said of the materials, and its the material of the bike frame that separates the big boys from the rest.

Bike frames were originally manufactured in wood, then in steel.  You can still find bike frames made from steel, and you will notice how much heavier they are then current bikes.

The designs of the frames have also evolved. Both in function of technological advances as well as changing road conditions over the years. In the early days, when roads were rough, road bike frames were designed with laid back angles and a long wheel base.

Bike frames took another step forward when the use of alloy tubes became possible. This made frames a lot lighter than the previous steel frames.

Nowadays, if you don´t want to spend $2000 on a bike, an alloy frame combined with a carbon fork, chain and seat are very popular combinations among bike buyers.  They represent a good value for the money.

The next step up in bike frames is the titanium frame. Bikes made with a titanium frame are almost weightless and offer a great, tight ride.

Titanium and carbon bike frames are much more expensive, but these material can last almost forever.

These top of the line bikes mix a titanium frame with carbon seat and fork. This combination makes for maximum comfort and handling while preserving safety.

Once you settle on the material and manufacturer of your bike frame. The next most important thing to consider is the size of the frame you buy. If the size is not right, your ride will not be comfortable and can even be dangerous. While most frames sizes will fit most people without the need for adjustments, there are a few things to consider to determine the right size for you.

If you refer to the image below, the size of the frame, measured in centimeters, is the length of the seat tube. One common way to determine your bike frame size is to use 0.65 of your inseam length. You just measure your inseam, convert that to centimeters (1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters) and multiply by 0.65. For example, an inseam length of 34 would yield a bike frame size of 56. Mountain bikes would require a frame size 10 to 12 centimeters smaller.

While it is not always possible to find the exact size according to the above measurements, the height of the seat can also be adjusted. The distance from the part of the frame that holds the pedals and cranks to the seat should be about 0.88 your inseam size.

Once you find the right road bike frame size, the rest of the bike should fit perfectly, with minor adjustments to the seat height as described.

Good luck buying your road bike and enjoy some fun and safe rides!