Bicycling

Had the Titanic been built with it, the Titanic would have survived. It is an easy steel to work with and repair. It also is NOT a rigid frame and thus the frame can absorb as much as 70% of your peddling power.

The more rigid the frame, the easier it is to Peddle. In order of Rigidly, material used in bicycle from (from least rigid to most rigid) are:

1. High Tension Steel
2. Chrome-Moly Steel, the wonder material of the 1930s
3 Aluminum, for bike frames the wonder Material of the 1980s
4. Titanium, for bike frames the wonder material of the 1990s
5. Carbon Fiber, for bike frame the wonder material of today.

The big jump in rigid frames is from High Tension Steel to Chrome-Moly Frames. The other materials are just marginally more rigid and in my opinion generally NOT worth the extra cost (And I ride an Aluminum Cannondate from the early 1990s). If you are racing, the extra cost may be worth it, but if you are doing causal biking Chrome Moly and Aluminum are your best bet for the price. Titanium and Carbon Fiber are extremely rigid AND expensive thus unless you see yourself in the Tour de France (and that is an all male race) not worth it.

Aluminum became the bike frame of choice starting in the 1980s for Cannondale figure out a way to make an Aluminum frame that when it broke could be cheaply and easily repair (prior to Cannondale Aluminum frames, if they broke anywhere, had to be junked, that was NOT true of High Tension Steel or Chrome Moly Steel).

After Cannondale determined how to make Aluminum frame that were repairable it made Aluminum the frame of choice, even through Chrome Moly was still winning the Tour de France. Thus in theory Aluminium and the other material are better then Chrome Moly, the difference is more theoretical then real. Aluminum bikes are NOT that much more expensive then Chrome Moly and for the reason such bikes are an good alternative to Chrome Moly. Aluminum bicycle are easier to find in medium price bikes then Chrome Moly for they have a good following given the last 20 years of marketing.

On the other hand the difference between High Tension Steel and Chrome Moly is easy to see once you see them together. I once saw my brother coast by my sisters on his Chrome Moly Frame Bike, while they were peddling hard on their High Tension Steel Bikes. The difference was NOT male vs female it was Chrome Moly vs High Tension steel frames. I left my brother behind, when I had a three Speed Chrome Moly Frame bike and he was on a High Tension Steel Frame bike for the same reason. The difference in how much you have to peddle is that noticeable.

Your next bike should be Chrome Moly or Aluminum for that reason. I would NOT upgrade your Huffy to much, going to a Chrome Moly or Aluminum frame bike would be a better option. For example someone suggested adding a rear gears, I would not, keep the bike as it is for it is a rugged easy to repair and maintain bike. Keep it as a "Beater" i.e. a bike you like and want to ride but if it gets beat up while you are riding it, that is why you bought it.

I am sorry, but you do need to look into something else. I recommend a Hybrid, a bike built like a Off Road Bike, but with smaller but taller wheels used on Road Bikes. It is a good compromise between an Off Road Bike and A road bike.

I would check out your bike. Huffy is silent about its frame, so it MAY be Chrome Moly, but most likely High Tension Steel. Most bikes made with Chrome Moly clearly say so, if it does NOT have any such markings it is a high tension steel bike.

A High Tension bike is NOT a bad bike, but it is a bike I would NOT upgrade but replace.