Bike forks
- Thread starter mrs quoad
- Start date
fogbat
The Talibum
I learnt most of what I know about bike maintenance and quite a bit about the history of the bicycle from this
My 1980 edition is very well-thumbed and rather oil-stained. An awesome read (including how to fend off and kill an attacking dog with a bicycle pump).
I think they removed the bit about dogs from later editions.
Do you inflate it until it bursts?
Do you inflate it until it bursts?
I'd imagine you'd need to make sure your pump could fit the nozzle first.
fen_boy
Exits gracefully.
So what are carbon fibre forks like, then?
I've paid for one three times, only to cancel the order / have it refunded within the half hour because I really can't afford it
Stop spending money you big nob.
There is something in this. I've undone half a year of good behaviour in three weeks
e2a: so entirely hypothetically speaking, what are carbon forks like?
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
Boycey
juvenile rave slut
I am hugely enjoying Quoad's Adventures In Bike Spannering
agreed
you can wing it just about with a file instead of crown race cutters and a bloody big bolt and spanners instead of headset press but you probably should take it to a shop.
if you're fitting a high end set of carbon forks then don't even think about the above. if you want recommendations for forks look no further than reynoulds ouzo comp/pros- i despatched on a set for 3 years and they're still going but unfortunately i cut them down for a pursuit frame and now they aren't long enough to fit into a proper bike.
My local bike shop would probably do it for a fiver. I presume this means forks don't come with the screwy bit that the bolt on top goes into?£175ish-£220ish?
What I'd basketed was: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Ritchey_Comp_Carbon_(Natural_Weave)_Fork/5360044516/
I'm awaiting about £600 of tax rebate... but for the mo this is definitely staying hypothetical
Herbsman.
Nah Lotion, Pet, Nor Powder.
look, what the fuck do YOU know about cycling?
I ride carbon fibre forks, I don't like them! I just prefer steel.
BTW where have you been hiding?
Why?
I have a steel fork. And a sprung fork (wurrrg). What's different about carbon fibre that you don't like?
Herbsman.
Nah Lotion, Pet, Nor Powder.
Nothing really, I shouldn't dismiss carbon fibre. It's just that my steel forks are more flexible than my carbon ones and thus more comfortable to ride on. I'm sure 'good' carbon fibre forks can be comfy or horribly rigid, depending on what the target market is. Mine are just cheap ones that came with the bike, so a bit bog standard.Why?
I have a steel fork. And a sprung fork (wurrrg). What's different about carbon fibre that you don't like?
Oh, and I hate the shape of carbon forks
pretty lugged steel ftw
Sigmund Fraud
893 all the way.
I was woken from slumber by the idiots in the fixed gear thread slaggin them when they'd clearly never ridden em. I was kind of hoping you and Boycey would give them a bit more of a shoeing so was glued to my screen
A lot of folk think steel forks feel harsh compared to carbon - not me mind you, I'm happy with either just as long as they're not straight (this has stopped me buying a 'nago').
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
Where would be the fun in THAT?
Today has a narrative.
i) get new brakes
ii) discover 1 cable too long
iii) realise that fixie fork has brake attached
iv) detach fixie fork (sweeeet)
v) repeatedly drop fixie fork (bastard covered in bastard oil)
vi) detach trail bike fork
vii) hear tinkling
viii) look down
ix) see ball bearings. Everywhere.
x) reassemble ball bearings
xi) find fixie fork crunches and wobbles in trail bike
xii) go back to square one.
I have learnt many things
Mostly - admittedly - about curbing my own enthusiasm, but also about Stuff like There's Ball Bearings In There
Did you take your fork off of two bikes just to change some brakes?
I hope so, because then I know there is at least 1 worse bike mechanic than me.
Sorry you crashed, at least you have the next one to look forward too.
Oh, I'm quite definitely a worse bike mechanic than pretty much everyone. Unless quality of bike mechanicism is measured by enthusiasm
I took the bike fork off because I had a shattered brake lever on some Magura Hydraulics that rendered them unusable. I also had a spare caliper brake; but the suspension fork on the hybrid couldn't take 'em. So I thought that changing the forks would give me a fitting that'd allow me to use the caliper brakes on the hybrid
Whilst also giving me a shot at finding out what the hybrid would be like with a rigid fork / without a wanky suspension fork
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
Oh I have been down that path before. You have all these spare parts, why not try to use them?
It usually ends in a disaster.
It usually ends in a disaster.
Well....
They aren't 'spare parts', as such.
More 'two bikes that don't like being blended'
Oh... Except for the 'spare' caliper. Whose 'spareness' is kinda related to my evening in A&E over the weekend
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
FrankenBike
Oh yeah it'll probably fuck the steering up
Oh yeah it'll probably fuck the steering up
In what kinda way...? Wobbling all over the shop? No stability?
If so, I might end up eBaying this (or some such similar) and replacing it with a road bike
It's just too darned upright 
cybertect
It's grim up north (London)
Incorrect 'trail' is a likely casualty if the headsets they came from have different angles and inappropriate fork offsets.
You may find that the it is either
a) harder to turn - you're fighting the tendency of the wheels to go straight harder than you should.
b) too easy to turn - you're constantly having to micro-correct the steering as the bike loses its tendency for the wheels to centre themselves when riding in a straight line.
e2a: I suspect this could be made worse/confused if crown on the suspension forks is higher up than the non-suspension ones and I'm not sure what other effects that would have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/biking-article/trail-fork-rake-and-a-little-bit-of-history/236726
You may find that the it is either
a) harder to turn - you're fighting the tendency of the wheels to go straight harder than you should.
b) too easy to turn - you're constantly having to micro-correct the steering as the bike loses its tendency for the wheels to centre themselves when riding in a straight line.
e2a: I suspect this could be made worse/confused if crown on the suspension forks is higher up than the non-suspension ones and I'm not sure what other effects that would have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_geometry
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/biking-article/trail-fork-rake-and-a-little-bit-of-history/236726
e2a: I suspect this could be made worse/confused if crown on the suspension forks is higher up than the non-suspension ones and I'm not sure what other effects that would have.
One of the points of changing the fork would be knocking 3-4" off the height of the forks... thereby reducing the uprightness...
And - yeah - the wiki article is what got me wondering... If the fork's designed to be held 3-4" higher up, then there's no way that it's angle is going to like being dropped 3-4" closer to the road
*sigh*
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
What cyber say-
I think the bike will handle the worst while you ride it to the bike shop to get it fixed.
If it's just a position issue why not mess with something simple and cheap? The stem for example
I think the bike will handle the worst while you ride it to the bike shop to get it fixed.
If it's just a position issue why not mess with something simple and cheap? The stem for example
I'd have the fork fully put in by t'bike shop. This time As for the position... I've turned the stem (and handlebars) upside down. So they've dropped by a wedge. But not enough.
My thinking goes that the current fork looks like this:
The fork I'd want to put on it looks like this:
The problem / potential gain would be that there's overthingy on the first fork. So it's 3-4" higher. And... I'm not sure I could find that kinda drop any other way... Could I?
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
No, dicking around with your forks will not work.
Save the money and aggravation.
I know it's a message board but really please don't do it
Save the money and aggravation.
I know it's a message board but really please don't do it
No, I probably won't
I can't really afford it anyhoos... But I might look at selling the trail bike, and investigating a road bike...fwiw, Wiggle's sales team have just answered a similar query. Their take is
I have doubts about this information, and believe what I'm hearing on this thread somewhat more
turing test
Nearly Toowrong
UM yeah, post, stem, seat, or crank.
If the frame is that bad..
If the frame is that bad..
TY
I think what I really need to do is shut the fuck up and get used to what I've got Then maybe think about flogging the Audax and getting a road bike in a year or so, if finances allow and it still looks appealing.
If I HAD got a road bike, I'd probably be posting threads about 'how can I convert my road bike into a TT bike' instead
I think what I really need to do is shut the fuck up and get used to what I've got
Then maybe think about flogging the Audax and getting a road bike in a year or so, if finances allow and it still looks appealing.If I HAD got a road bike, I'd probably be posting threads about 'how can I convert my road bike into a TT bike' instead
The fork I put on it looks like this:
*WHOOOOSH*
39.2 mph yesterday!!! And the steering is hypothetically awesome
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