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#1
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) |
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#2
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
Paul Kossa wrote:
I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) So why are you getting a non-steel bicycle? I wouldn't consider casting off my old custom made steel frame even though it has more than 200,000 miles (10,000 per year) on it, albeit with a new fork with threadless steer tube (the reason for the new fork). http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/ Jobst Brandt |
#3
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
In article
, Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. -- Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by |
#4
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
Ecnerwal wrote:
In article , Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many have done that to you? |
#5
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message ... Ecnerwal wrote: In article , Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many have done that to you? Squirrel encounters happen. I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away. |
#6
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
news.suddenlink.net wrote:
"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message ... Ecnerwal wrote: In article , Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many have done that to you? Squirrel encounters happen. I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away. Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and wedged into their fork? Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door? |
#7
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
On Nov 20, 7:32*pm, Carl Sundquist wrote:
news.suddenlink.net wrote: "Carl Sundquist" wrote in message ... Ecnerwal wrote: In article , *Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) *Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. *I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. *Is there a "safer" option? *(All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many have done that to you? Squirrel encounters happen. I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. *Years later, I had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away. Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people * * have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and wedged into their fork? Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door? I got rear-ended with my GT Avalanche hanging off my trunk rack. Remarkably, the frame was unscathed. I had its alignment checked, and it was fine. Killed the crank (bent arms and chainrings), bent the BB spindle, and deformed the rack. I think if my '75 PX-10 had been on there, I'd have been reduced to tears. As it was, I got a crank upgrade out of it. |
#8
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
Hank wrote:
On Nov 20, 7:32 pm, Carl Sundquist wrote: news.suddenlink.net wrote: "Carl Sundquist" wrote in message ... Ecnerwal wrote: In article , Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here, when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash with injury. I'd stick to steel. Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many have done that to you? Squirrel encounters happen. I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away. Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and wedged into their fork? Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door? I got rear-ended with my GT Avalanche hanging off my trunk rack. Remarkably, the frame was unscathed. I had its alignment checked, and it was fine. Killed the crank (bent arms and chainrings), bent the BB spindle, and deformed the rack. I think if my '75 PX-10 had been on there, I'd have been reduced to tears. As it was, I got a crank upgrade out of it. I didn't say it was unheard of. But in your opinion, which location, bumper or roof, is more prone to have a bike damaged? |
#9
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
Paul Kossa wrote:
I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) *Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. *I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. *Is there a "safer" option? *(All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) If weight is the most important issue to you, get a carbon fiber fork. If toughness and forgiving failure modes-- safety, basically-- are the most important things to you, definitely you want steel. Absolute strength? Ride quality? These things are a product of design choices, rather than material. If you are getting a custom Ti frame from a builder who also makes steel frames, perhaps they could make you a custom steel fork to go with your frame. It would then be an aesthetic match for your frame and a structural match for your body weight and riding conditions. The builder can use a heavier steer tube or more ductile steel than normal if you so desire. Some builders have offered Ti forks in the past, but their stiffness- to-weight ratio is not impressive. Their cost is rather impressively high, though. For some of the same reasons (limitations on steer tube size imposing limitations on stiffness), it's a poor idea to use an all-aluminum fork unless you are very lightweight or you prefer a soft fork. Some carbon forks use aluminum steer tubes, which is a sort of worst-of-both-worlds arrangement: The fork's stiffness is limited by the aluminum steerer, and the exposed fork legs are made of scratch and impact damage-prone plastic. Chalo Colina |
#10
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Is a carbon fork the safest?
Hi,
Paul Kossa wrote: I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork -- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!) Make sure to test-ride a bike with carbon fork and one with steel/alu/wood fork, whatever you want to compare - a few years back I test-rode a friend's bike (which doesnt fit me) and recently another bike with similar geometry (also doesnt fit me). The first had a carbon fork and an aluminium frame while the second had an old-fashioned steel frame. They sure do feel different! In my case I didnt like the alu/carbon frame because it was built too light for me (though I'm not heavy!). So, check it, ride both and choose which you like best! Ciao... |
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