Well, if nothing else, this thread has revealed my vanity.
The fork I want doesn't do anything another fork wouldn't do, it just looks so beautiful to me.
I think most people call this type of fork design a "segmented fork," and I apologize for not having a link so that everyone can see one.
I'll keep looking for an example.
In the meantime, one sees this type of fork most commonly on rigid mountain bikes.
The frame builder who will make my bike puts the rake in the fork by angling the crown segments of the fork (the horizontal parts) forward in a shallow "V," which allows for the vertical legs of the fork to have the same angle as the head tube, like some motorcycle forks.
Unhappily, the shallow "V" does not leave enough room for a front brake between the fork legs.
I have just started to consider the possibility of putting the brake
behind the steerer tube, but I haven't really examined this possibility.
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Originally Posted by spdrcr5
If he's locking his straps down that tight, how is he getting his foot out to stop even in an emergency? Track standing will only get you so far.
My son rides a geared bike and a single-speed, which allows him to coast and reach down with his hand to tighten and untighten his straps.
He recognizes the greater safety of clip-outs; however, he doesn't perceive the straps as dangerous, but as only less-safe, or not-quite-as-safe.
He makes this compromise because he trains both by running and biking, and he wants to ride in the same shoes as those he uses for running.
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So, bottom line: vanity.
I love the look of these forks because of their simplicity; because my frame-builder can fabricate them from scratch; and because they make it possible for the fork angle to match the head tube angle.
I need to find either another justification for these forks, beyond vanity, or find a way of putting the brake behind the steerer tube.