On 26 Mar 2003 11:52:59 -0800,
[email protected] (SkyAli) wrote:
>I would like to upgrade my nine year old custom sprint track bike (steel) with a carbon track
>fork...straight blade.
The perfunctory first requirement for any rbt reply is to cross-examine your motives for the change.
So let's get this out of the way first: is there a problem with the existing fork that you're trying
to cure, or is this only an exercise in styling?
>Can anyone recommend a carbon fork that is track specific?
Apart from replacement forks for Corima's Cougar frame or for the BT track frame from Australia
(neither of which will be inexpensive), you will find few options for a carbon fork designed
specifically for track use. A recent poster in another thread concerning track forks mentioned the
oft-rumored Reynolds track fork, but to my knowledge the Reynolds model does not yet exist.
>What range of rake is recommended?
There is no absolute standard, of course, but dedicated sprint frames in steel will typically have
offsets in the range of 28 to 35mm. You should measure the fork you have and try to find a
replacement that is as close as possible to it not only with regard to offset, but also effective
blade length (fork crown race seat to axle). Even if you find a fork with an appropriate offset,
it's the effective blade length of your steel fork that may be the hardest to replicate with a
carbon fork. Most carbon forks have a more massive crown than a classic steel track model and will
therefore be more likely to have a longer effective blade length.
>Is it possible to convert to threadless, and is there a preference to either 1 inch vs 1 1/8 inch?
>I'm guessing mine is an inch.
A steel track frame of the vintage you mention is almost certainly for a 1" steerer, but if you find
a fork that meets your other needs, you can go to a threadless design with a simple change in
headset and stem.
>I've looked on web sites, and every fork is made for the rode.... with a drilled brake hole.
Don't think of the brake hole as a disqualifying feature. With luck, the empty hole will whistle as
your speed goes over 50kph and impress anybody within earshot of how fast you're going.
-------------------------------
http://www.businesscycles.com John Dacey Business Cycles, Miami, Florida 305-273-4440 Now in our
twentieth year. Our catalog of track equipment: seventh year online
-------------------------------