Carbon Forks

ck9 said:

Thinking about fitting some carbon forks (Ahead) to my old Pinarello,any opinions ???? or waste of time

What year and model Pinarello? Maybe it's a model that would be compatable with the Onda or Vola forks found on the Dogma, Prince, etc?

ck9 said:

Thinking about fitting some carbon forks (Ahead) to my old Pinarello,any opinions ???? or waste of time

It can be a rather pricey addition. Forks can be fairly pricey and if you have a threaded headset system, you will need a new headset and stem. I have an older Pinarello (1991 Veneto), and the steel fork is a beautiful, and although I pay a weight penalty, it really makes for a comfy ride. If you do decide to go with carbon, I'm a fan of the Reynolds Ouzo Pro (full carbon). Make sure you get the right rake.

PeterF said:

It can be a rather pricey addition. Forks can be fairly pricey and if you have a threaded headset system, you will need a new headset and stem. I have an older Pinarello (1991 Veneto), and the steel fork is a beautiful, and although I pay a weight penalty, it really makes for a comfy ride. If you do decide to go with carbon, I'm a fan of the Reynolds Ouzo Pro (full carbon). Make sure you get the right rake.

don´t need a new headset - just do what the shimano sponsored teams did when using carbon forks , get a machine shop to remove the thread and open up the top mount to the diameter of the steerer tube
note : it´s very precise work don´t try it at home .
avoid full carbon , go for an aliuminium steerer - it´s a lot cheaper and easier to work with though you will need a new stem ( try pazzaz ) and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .
there may be a problem with the brake caliper mounting bolt so investigate before commiting to anything .

el Inglés said:

don´t need a new headset - just do what the shimano sponsored teams did when using carbon forks , get a machine shop to remove the thread and open up the top mount to the diameter of the steerer tube
note : it´s very precise work don´t try it at home .
avoid full carbon , go for an aliuminium steerer - it´s a lot cheaper and easier to work with though you will need a new stem ( try pazzaz ) and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .
there may be a problem with the brake caliper mounting bolt so investigate before commiting to anything .

A new headset might be cheaper than paying a machine shop.

PeterF said:

A new headset might be cheaper than paying a machine shop.

Kinesis makes carbon forks with 1" threaded Cromolly steerers. About $150.

... and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .

Because the worst that can happen is the carbon snaps on a 40 mph descent....

PeterF said:

... and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .

Because the worst that can happen is the carbon snaps on a 40 mph descent....

The only thing more money and a big name might get you is less weight. They usually aren't any stronger.

artmichalek said:

The only thing more money and a big name might get you is less weight. They usually aren't any stronger.

I was just being a smart @$$. One question though, if there is nothing wrong with the current fork why bother changing it? Weight savings? Ride quality? A cheap carbon fork with cromoly steerer isn't going to do much of either. When it's all said and done, you still have an old frame. I know there are some good deals on forks (Performance, Nashbar) that are perfectly fine, but is it worth it? If you want to improve the ride, take a look at the wheels...

artmichalek said:

The only thing more money and a big name might get you is less weight. They usually aren't any stronger.

Not sure what leads you to generalize here. Surely you realize that strength and quality of CF forks vary, depending on their design, manufacturing processes and quality controls. When it comes to forks, stems and handlebars, those characteristics are more important than weight or dollar savings, to me at least.

I paid more for a Reynolds fork to get proven quality, durability and strength. Believe Reynolds Ouzo is stronger than many of the cheaper "no-name" forks, and has more consistent strength from sample to sample as well. Perhaps some of the no-name bargain forks are high-quality as well, but I prefer to go with a proven winner.

dhk said:

Not sure what leads you to generalize here. Surely you realize that strength and quality of CF forks vary, depending on their design, manufacturing processes and quality controls. When it comes to forks, stems and handlebars, those characteristics are more important than weight or dollar savings, to me at least.

I paid more for a Reynolds fork to get proven quality, durability and strength. Believe Reynolds Ouzo is stronger than many of the cheaper "no-name" forks, and has more consistent strength from sample to sample as well. Perhaps some of the no-name bargain forks are high-quality as well, but I prefer to go with a proven winner.

Plus have you ever seen the results of a broken fork? There's usually an ambulance involved.
:eek:

el Inglés said:

don´t need a new headset - just do what the shimano sponsored teams did when using carbon forks , get a machine shop to remove the thread and open up the top mount to the diameter of the steerer tube
note : it´s very precise work don´t try it at home .
avoid full carbon , go for an aliuminium steerer - it´s a lot cheaper and easier to work with though you will need a new stem ( try pazzaz ) and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .
there may be a problem with the brake caliper mounting bolt so investigate before commiting to anything .

I believe that you will really enjoy the feeling of a carbon fork. They are less flexie than your steel fork and damp vibration much more, or at least in my experience they do. You have options regarding threaded vs non threaded. Threaded allows for you to continue to use a quill stem which offers more height adjustment possibilities. But you are retrofitting your existing bike and most likely have it dialed in at this point so adjustment may not be an issue. You could also go with threaded and use a threaded to non threaded stem adapter. You could go with threaded and buy a $125 Chris King threaded head set assuming you are ready to replace the existing one and later if you ever upgrade to a non threaded fork, King makes a conversion kit so you don't have to buy a new head set.

As for the comment about saving money and going with a no name fork vs a "big" name fork - I don't know that I totally agree with that logic, particularly if you have chosen to invest in a "name" frame such as yours. Unfortunately, threaded fork options for 1" are not that plentiful but there are some good ones to choose from. Hec, the Profile BRC 1" threaded unit sells for about $150 new and that's not a bad choice.

Most of the carbon stuff comes out of the same village in Taiwan, regardless of brand name. I picked up a nice Weyless 1" carbon fork with allow steerer from Nashbar for $45 USF. Throw in a Cane Creek S2 headset for another $30, a stem for $15 and you slide in for a c-note.

dhk said:

Not sure what leads you to generalize here. Surely you realize that strength and quality of CF forks vary, depending on their design, manufacturing processes and quality controls. When it comes to forks, stems and handlebars, those characteristics are more important than weight or dollar savings, to me at least.

I paid more for a Reynolds fork to get proven quality, durability and strength. Believe Reynolds Ouzo is stronger than many of the cheaper "no-name" forks, and has more consistent strength from sample to sample as well. Perhaps some of the no-name bargain forks are high-quality as well, but I prefer to go with a proven winner.

Well, it is just that; a generalization. The thing about manufacturing carbon fiber is that the processing costs a lot more than the material. Lower end manufacturers compensate for less process control with more material. Our culture being as lawsuit driven as it is, strength is the last thing any manufacturer is going to willingly sacrifice. That said, and going back to what PeterF said, the thing that really makes forks like the Ouzo stand out is the well tuned ride quality. I'm not entirely convinced that a blindfolded rider (kids don't try this at home) would really notice the difference in feel between a good steel fork and a cheap carbon one.

artmichalek said:

Well, it is just that; a generalization. The thing about manufacturing carbon fiber is that the processing costs a lot more than the material. Lower end manufacturers compensate for less process control with more material. Our culture being as lawsuit driven as it is, strength is the last thing any manufacturer is going to willingly sacrifice. That said, and going back to what PeterF said, the thing that really makes forks like the Ouzo stand out is the well tuned ride quality. I'm not entirely convinced that a blindfolded rider (kids don't try this at home) would really notice the difference in feel between a good steel fork and a cheap carbon one.

Agree a manufacturer should not "willing" sacrifice strength for weight, but as you know, the pressures of cost and weight-driven marketing are real. If an importer asks an "anonymous" asian source for bids on a 25 gram lighter fork, I have the feeling one will be forthcoming, regardless of the strength or life compromise involved.

artmichalek said:

Well, it is just that; a generalization. The thing about manufacturing carbon fiber is that the processing costs a lot more than the material. Lower end manufacturers compensate for less process control with more material. Our culture being as lawsuit driven as it is, strength is the last thing any manufacturer is going to willingly sacrifice. That said, and going back to what PeterF said, the thing that really makes forks like the Ouzo stand out is the well tuned ride quality. I'm not entirely convinced that a blindfolded rider (kids don't try this at home) would really notice the difference in feel between a good steel fork and a cheap carbon one.

Agree a manufacturer should not "willing" sacrifice strength for weight, but as you know, the pressures of cost and weight-driven marketing are real. If an importer asks an "anonymous" asian source for bids on a 25 gram lighter fork, I have the feeling one will be forthcoming, regardless of the strength or life compromise involved.

dhk said:

Agree a manufacturer should not "willing" sacrifice strength for weight, but as you know, the pressures of cost and weight-driven marketing are real. If an importer asks an "anonymous" asian source for bids on a 25 gram lighter fork, I have the feeling one will be forthcoming, regardless of the strength or life compromise involved.

As capwater pointed out, it's the same Asian factories bidding for all of these projects. At the lower end I would imagine it's more of "What's it going to take to meet this price point?", than "What's it going to take to meet this weight?" I sleep better knowing that outside of a crash very few of us are ever going to push a fork to the point of failure anyway.

dhk said:

Agree a manufacturer should not "willing" sacrifice strength for weight, but as you know, the pressures of cost and weight-driven marketing are real. If an importer asks an "anonymous" asian source for bids on a 25 gram lighter fork, I have the feeling one will be forthcoming, regardless of the strength or life compromise involved.

As capwater pointed out, it's the same Asian factories bidding for all of these projects. At the lower end I would imagine it's more of "What's it going to take to meet this price point?", than "What's it going to take to meet this weight?" I sleep better knowing that outside of a crash very few of us are ever going to push a fork to the point of failure anyway.

PeterF said:

... and don´t get conned into buying a "name " fork when there are good economy brands out there .

Because the worst that can happen is the carbon snaps on a 40 mph descent....

the same could be said of ali or steel .
it´s like those idiots that tell you you "have" to have durace or record , most of the price you pay is not for quality but " snob " value - who , in their right mind , would pay the asking price on an aftermarket fork from colnago ?
a carbon fork with a steel steerer will be as light or lighter than an ali fork and several hunderd grams lighter than the best steel fork .
all carbon forks : not for the average rider , too much hassle and too much care needed in their instalation and always the risk of cracking the steerer when tightening the stem - you do grease your headbearings don´t you ?
we´ve all seen seat tubes cracked by over tightening , so what ? but a cracked steereris a different ballgame ........
too cheap is usually cr*p but beyond a certain point your paying for the name not the quality , look at what you want , at what you can afford and make an informed choice ; don´t just follow the idots with more money than sense .