1. The Big Four Frames
Although you can find some alternatively framed mountain bikes, such as kevlar-carbon fiber composites, the vast majority of mountain bike frames are made from steel, titanium, aluminum or carbon fiber. There is no simple hierarchy for which frame is best and which is worst. In fact, the scale of pricing for the different bike frames is also considerably different from what you might imagine. The key when thinking about mountain bike frames is to know what's right for you.
2. Strong as Steel
Steel is the strongest of the materials that is per dollar paid. In addition to its natural strength, steel is also considerably flexible, adding some natural shock-absorption to the bike frame that the strong material can absorb reasonably well. There is a downside of course which is that the material is relatively heavy, compared with aluminum or carbon fiber, and the flexibility of the steel results in energy loss. What this means is that jumpers or downhill riders do well by steel but uphill or distance riders might be less comfortable.
3. In Suspense About Aluminum
Aluminum presents mountain bike riders with another excellent choice since it's relatively inexpensive, very strong and, best of all, very light. For all day, "hard riders" aluminum's light-weight and relative stiffness means that you're not wasting energy pushing a hunk of metal around. In addition, the extra frame metal needed for full suspension systems doesn't add tons of weight when you're dealing with aluminum, making a full suspension bike a very good option.
4. Like an Astronaut Needs a Bicycle
If astronauts felt like taking a Sunday morning ride around the moon, a Titanium frame bike (made from leftover Titanium shuttle parts) would be the right framing choice. Titanium offers hard riders an extremely long lasting, extremely solid material. The natural springiness of Titanium also enables you to ride along relatively rocky and bumpy surfaces without a suspension system, making the bike easier to maintain and less expensive in the long run.
5. High (Carbon) Fiber Diet
The most expensive mountain bike framing material is carbon fiber. The material is extremely light, and enables bike builders to create mountain bikes that weigh in under 3 lbs. This means that you can put a serious suspension system on the bike without going overweight, which is good considering the carbon fiber needs assistance absorbing shock so it doesn't crack or break. Given the expense and relative weakness of carbon fiber, it's only a good choice if you plan to use your mountain bike on roads (throw on some slick tires) or if you're competing in competitions like a triathlon.
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