How much difference...

[vickster]

do carbon forks make to comfort on a flat bar bike on tatty roads? Discuss

 

[fossyant]

Compared to aluminium, no doubt. Steel, not.

My Ribble 653 glides over a road near work, my alloy/carbon fixed doesn't.

Alu forks end up too stiff, so that is why most alu frames have carbon forks.

Even Cannondale, who make just about the best alu frames, use Carbon forks.

 

[vickster]

Cheers. I have alu forks with Specialized Zertz inserts, but if I hit a pothole at speed, feels like my arms/wrist might break! Pretty different on the carbon road bike, but I am probably more cautious about avoiding craters too

 

[rsvdaz]

i'm sure the lower end sirrus forks are steel and the ones with the zertz inserts are carbon legs with an alu crown

 

[2Loose]

i'm sure the lower end sirrus forks are steel and the ones with the zertz inserts are carbon legs with an alu crown

Nope. Steel would be positively plush in comparison!


Fork: Aluminium legs and crown, Cr-Mo steerer with Fender and rack eyelets

 

[vickster]

Hmmm on the 2010 Sport ...
Fork: Sirrus carbon legs & crown, alloy steererh

ttp://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/sirrus-sport-2010-hybrid-bike-ec020017

Interesting about steel ... aren't steel bikes really heavy though compared to alu/carbon...I want my next bike to be light (no more than 9-9.5kg)

Been lusting after this http://www.cyclesuk.com/product/Stirling_2011_W11ST2M-1 (under 9kg apparently)

 

[PaulSecteur]

but if I hit a pothole at speed, feels like my arms/wrist might break!

When people say carbon forks are more comfortable, they mean they reduce the ammount of road buzz transmitted up to yur hands.

Any solid fork will let you know you have run over a pot hole at speed!

 

[vickster]

So carbon forks don't dampen at all, really don't want suspension forks due to the damned weight - sold my Crosstrail as although more comfortable, it weighed a ton!

This isn't only big holes, but just the general tattiness of the roads in these parts!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

as fozzy says, the only difference are on alloy forks. steel forks are a dream and tend not to be as straight as carbon forks. the easiest way to make the road buzz less, is to get some more air volume in your front tyre, i.e., get a fatter tyre and run it at a lower pressure, you won't go any slower (that's a myth).

 

[vickster]

I already run on 28s on the Sirrus, so not exactly skinny ... the roadbike is on 23s but a carbon frame so rather like comparing apples and pears
...tyres on the hybrid probably do need pumping up, no gauge so just go for more or less as hard as I can get them

Any light steel forked/framed flat bar bikes out there for under a grand? I don't know anything about steel bikes!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

on-one.....linky here

 

[vickster]

Cool but I need gears

 

[gbb]

Its not just about material, its about the rake (or offset) as well.

The most comfortable bike i have is an old Raleigh Clubman, 531 frame with steel (non 531) forks. Its remarkably plush and smooth, like gliding over the road. The important thing is the rake, its quite marked, old fashioned looking by todays standards. I think this damps out an awful lot of vibration, it allows a springiness. With straight forks, all the vibration goes straight up to the rider.

The most uncomfortable ive had was a Raleigh Chimera, chro-mo frame, steel forks. The forks were really quite straight, no rake. You felt every pebble, every bump, the bike almost used to shake over anything other than smooth tarmac.

Both Bianchi's ive had are carbon forked, the latter being full carbon. Its very comfortable, maybe not as good as the Clubman..no Zertz inserts either in the full carbon. But then pull out a full carbon fork, they're astoundingly light.

It's all about compromise, weight against comfort, comfort against responsiveness of steering.

Rake has been reduced on more race orientated / road bikes because it affects steering. My Raliegh Clubman, while remarkably comfortable is a bugger commuting traffic, so hard and unresponsive when steering, because of the rake.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Cool but I need gears

eh? loads of gears..pompetine for example

 

[vickster]

I don't know what Alfine gears are And the bike is over 12kg!!