One choice only

Smudger said:

Forks.

Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

And why.

I'll start.

Steel - proven and comfortable(ish).

Alu - light and strong (and I've seen what happens when carbon forks break!)

Cheers! Stephen

Carbon forks make me nervous too!

"Steve McGinty" <stephenmcginty@ntlworld_DOT_.com> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Smudger said:

Forks.

Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

And why.

I'll start.

Steel - proven and comfortable(ish).

Alu - light and strong (and I've seen what happens when carbon forks break!)

Carbon - light and strong and great vibration damping. (Alu forks break too).

F1 cars, world record breaking racing yachts and the like use carbon fibre for a reason - it's the
best trade off between weight and strength.

Russ

Smudger said:

Forks.

Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

And why.

Well, it all depends on the context. What's the bike for? My "one bike fits all" would be a tourer,
so steel as that will last and be repairable. But a friend who only ever uses a bike for road racing
would probably be better off on carbon.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Smudger said:

Forks. Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

Steel. Because I'm a Luddite and cast iron forks are no longer available
:-P

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗ highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗

russell pinder said:

F1 cars, world record breaking racing yachts and the like use carbon fibre for a reason

Team Philips.

Next :-)

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗ highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote: ( Smudger wrote: ) > Forks. ( >
Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre? ) ( Steel. Because I'm a Luddite and cast iron forks are no
longer available

Wrought iron, with brass finials.

"Geraint Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote: ( Smudger wrote: ) > Forks. ( > Steel,
aluminium or carbon fibre? ) ( Steel. Because I'm a Luddite and cast iron forks are no longer

available

Quoted message said:

Wrought iron, with brass finials.

bamboo

clive

Just zis Guy said:

Smudger said:

Forks. Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

Steel. Because I'm a Luddite and cast iron forks are no longer available

Bamboo. Grow your own.

james

"James Annan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just zis Guy said:

Smudger said:

Forks. Steel, aluminium or carbon fibre?

Steel. Because I'm a Luddite and cast iron forks are no longer

available

Quoted message said:

Bamboo. Grow your own.

james

Stone, carve your own!!

"James Annan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bamboo. Grow your own.

bamboobike.commens bikes.htmOpen ↗

Tony W said:

"James Annan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bamboo. Grow your own.

bamboobike.commens bikes.htmOpen ↗

My LBS doesn't stock stainless liana cables, so that would be no good.

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗ highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗

Lobster Thermadore.

Cook your own.

This is getting silly. I'll think of something else to discuss.

What's wrong with wood then?

:-)

Smudger said:

What's wrong with wood then?

It doesn't repair very well, and is very difficult to consistently mass produce with at high
tolerances.

That's a serious point: it's often thought that the reason it isn't used as much in many things
these days (canoes, skis, for example) is it's inferior for the job if used properly, where
it's actually the case that in many cases if it's done well it's a superb material, very strong
and light.

A couple of Velo Vision issues ago there was a picture of a 'bent with a beautiful wood tail
fairing. It had wooden wheels as well, and it was a racing model.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Smudger said:

What's wrong with wood then?

:-)

Woodn't work

I'll get my coat

--
Chris dot Gerhard at btclick dot com.

russell pinder said:

F1 cars, world record breaking racing yachts and the like use carbon fibre for a reason - it's the
best trade off between weight and strength.

F1 teams have an effectively unlimited budget (compared to the cost of bicycles) and don't mind
replacing kit after a weekend's use.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?

Peter Clinch said:

That's a serious point: it's often thought that the reason it isn't used as much in many things
these days (canoes, skis, for example) is it's inferior for the job if used properly, where
it's actually the case that in many cases if it's done well it's a superb material, very strong
and light.

Very true. My old sailing teacher had a yacht he built himself, cold moulded wooden hull. He was
rammed by a mad Frenchman in the channel; the Frenchman's plastic boat went down like a stone but
Bruce was able to make harbour in his wooden wonder.

And talking of wooden wonders, the Mosquito was made of wood as well. You could load up a Mossie
with 4,000lb and a crew of two, fly to Germany, drop said bomb, fly back, rearm and refuel and do
the round trip again in less time (and with less fuel) than a Stirling with a crew of seven could do
the trip. Not very PC, but a bloody good aeroplane.

And there was a bloke at the Rickmansworth Aquadrome who built a Flying Fifteen with a cold-moulded
hull (it looked like teak). That was one beautiful boat. He carved a spinnaker chute out of solid
mahogany, as I recall. Mmmmmm - Nice!

Good stuff, wood. Unfortunately most of the timber you can buy retail in the UK is evidently shipped
as deck cargo on a submarine :-(

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗ highwaycode.gov.uk09.shtmlOpen ↗

What's your coat made out of?