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carbon fiber fork question



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 26th 03, 02:19 AM
TedK618265
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Default carbon fiber fork question

I have a Specialized Allez alluminum frame and am thinking about getting a
carbon fiber fork for it. I have seen forks with cro-moly steering tubes,
alluminum steering tubes, and carbon fiber steering tubes. Are there any
differences as to strengh and durability? Also, if I decided to get a fork
with a carbon fiber steering tube, does it require a special headset (the frame
is not built for an integrated headset). Any thoughts appreciated.

Ted
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  #2  
Old December 26th 03, 04:33 AM
Andre
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Default carbon fiber fork question

The most problematic is the full carbon fork. You must be careful when
cutting the steerer. Also, a compression insert must be used instead of a
star fangled nut. Also, the steerer cannot extend too far past the top of
the headset. Aluminum is heavier. Chromoly is heavier still.

--
--------------------------
Andre Charlebois
BPE, MCSE4.0, CNA, A+
webmaster for Triathlon New Brunswick
www.TriNB.com
"TedK618265" wrote in message
...
I have a Specialized Allez alluminum frame and am thinking about getting a
carbon fiber fork for it. I have seen forks with cro-moly steering tubes,
alluminum steering tubes, and carbon fiber steering tubes. Are there any
differences as to strengh and durability? Also, if I decided to get a

fork
with a carbon fiber steering tube, does it require a special headset (the

frame
is not built for an integrated headset). Any thoughts appreciated.

Ted



  #4  
Old December 26th 03, 12:59 PM
Bill
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Default carbon fiber fork question

I've had a full carbon fork fail. The steerer tube broke. Not worth any
weight saving, IMO!
"TedK618265" wrote in message
...
I have a Specialized Allez alluminum frame and am thinking about getting a
carbon fiber fork for it. I have seen forks with cro-moly steering tubes,
alluminum steering tubes, and carbon fiber steering tubes. Are there any
differences as to strengh and durability? Also, if I decided to get a

fork
with a carbon fiber steering tube, does it require a special headset (the

frame
is not built for an integrated headset). Any thoughts appreciated.

Ted



  #5  
Old December 26th 03, 02:53 PM
Qui si parla Campagnolo
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Default carbon fiber fork question

ted- I have a Specialized Allez alluminum frame and am thinking about getting
a
carbon fiber fork for it. I have seen forks with cro-moly steering tubes,
alluminum steering tubes, and carbon fiber steering tubes. Are there any
differences as to strengh and durability? BRBR

Not in the practical sense, they just weigh less than one another. BUT there is
a maximum number of spacers you can put under the stem on a carbon steerer. For
1 inch it is generally about 1 inch(2.54cm). With the other two, steel and
aluminum, no maximum. You need just about any threadless 1 inch HS.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"
  #6  
Old December 26th 03, 07:54 PM
A Muzi
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Default carbon fiber fork question

"TedK618265" wrote in message
...
I have a Specialized Allez alluminum frame and am thinking about getting a
carbon fiber fork for it. I have seen forks with cro-moly steering tubes,
alluminum steering tubes, and carbon fiber steering tubes. Are there any
differences as to strengh and durability? Also, if I decided to get a

fork
with a carbon fiber steering tube, does it require a special headset (the

frame
is not built for an integrated headset). Any thoughts appreciated.


Bill wrote:
I've had a full carbon fork fail. The steerer tube broke. Not worth any
weight saving, IMO!



Bill, can you tell us more about that, please?

I was the loudest Cassandra about the dangers of
carbon/carbon forks a couple of years ago. But I've been
proved wrong. Now there are tens of thousands of minimal
offbrand carbon forks now and the failure rate is minuscule.

So what more can you tell us about that - brand and model?
Mileage? Any mitigating factors, like front impact? Where
and how did it break? (Where on the piece, not where on a map).

Since the incidence os so very low, I'm starved for information.

AFAIK, _every_ fork can be used with either an integrated or
with a normal headset (so long as the other dimensions are
appropriate). Anyone know of a counterexample?
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

  #8  
Old December 26th 03, 11:12 PM
Werehatrack
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Default carbon fiber fork question

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 12:54:11 -0600, A Muzi may
have said:

Since the incidence os so very low, I'm starved for information.


It might be worth considering that there could be a number of things
which *might* causing the reported failure rate to be lower than the
real one. (They may be identical, but my instincts tell me not to
make that assumption.) There may well be tens of thousands of
carbon/carbon forks which have been sold, but how many of those get
ridden hard on a daily basis? How many are ridden by someone who is
not the original purchaser? How many bear no indentifying marks?

I, for one, will continue to let others test the long-term
characteristics of carbon/carbon forks. They may very well be lighter
than aluminum, titanium or steel, but weight is just one factor, and
not the principle one for me. Others have different priorities, and
their policies will vary accordingly. I think that's entirely
appropriate.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
it's also possible that I'm busy.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
  #10  
Old December 27th 03, 04:02 PM
Qui si parla Campagnolo
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Default carbon fiber fork question

Michael- Why the maximum? What's the limiit on a 1 1/8" steerer? BRBR

About 1 1/2 INCHES on a 1 1/8 inch carbon steerer. To prevent lawsuits I would
suspect.

Is this a
loose rule-of-thumb or a hard restriction printed on paper by the
manufacturer? BRBR

For Reynolds, it is the printed maximums, For AME, it is 1 1/2 inch for both.
Each manufacturer publishes their own maximums.

michael I recently purchased a bike with a 1 1/8" carbon/carbon fork. It was
initially fitted wth about 3" of spacers between the headset and stem,
indicating that the LBS didn't think/know that that was a problem. BRBR


LBS is wrong, no carbon steerer has a maximum of 3 inches.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"
 




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