M.Lou.B

Hello there,

I've been looking for a specific kind of fork for a bikepacking build with the following properties:
28"
1 1/8"
straight (not tapered)
mounts for v-brakes and fenders
2 or 3 mounts for fork bags (as opposed to 1 for a front rack)
preferably aluminum, but carbon would be ok as well

This is probably super hard if not impossible to find, but I was wondering of anyone here might happen to know of a place where I could buy such a fork.
If not, I'll purchase a standard touring fork and improvise something with zip ties and the rack screw, though I'd prefer several screw mounts of a cleaner setup.

Many thanks and best regards,
M.Lou.B

veganbikes

Surly makes forks which probably would fit the bill minus the silly aluminum stuff (worst fork material anyway) as they build in steel. Carbon is going to be tough to find with linear pull/cantilever brake mounts and all the other stuff. However you can find most of it minus the 3 pack mounts Whisky Parts Co. makes them and they are excellent forks but most everything with 3 packs is disc. Luckily though you can easily get cable actuated disc brakes that are long pull in high end and lower end stuff so you wouldn't need to change levers and you could get better braking and Paul uses a common SRAM pad and the TRP Spykes use probably the most common Shimano pad which a ton of other brakes use from a lot of different manufacturers.

Tourist in MSN

Disc brakes started to replace rim brakes before the three bolt anything type cages were invented, thus most forks were no longer built for rim brakes when the three bolt cage system started to be used.

Not many forks were made in aluminum. Yes some are, but they are rare. A friend of mine had one that cracked, which sent him to the hospital when half of his fork was no longer attached to his frame.

A gal I know used some two way tape and zip ties to attach the three bolt system to her carbon fork. The tape slipped a bit but overall I think she was happy with it. If she was not happy I do not think she would have told me, so maybe not?

Take a look at the bikes used for the Tour Divide race. If you see the fork you like, you might be able to find out who made it. But, it is quite possible that no rim brake bikes were used on that race, so this might not help.
https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2023-t...e-rigs-part-1/
https://bikepacking.com/bikes/rigs-o...divide-part-2/

saddlesores

You can ebay a nice steel fork, disc-capable, with v-brake studs, rack/fender eyelets and mid-fork rack eyelets..
Unlikely to find one with multiple upper eyelets.

Tailfin has these bolt-on clamps to add eyelets to suspension forks.
Might be about the right size to fit fat-tube forks.

https://bikepacking.com/gear/tailfin...mounts-review/

https://bikepacking.com/wp-content/u...-1536x1024.jpg

M.Lou.B

Ohhhh! Those Tailfin clamps are awesome!

Sadly they seem to be too wide for most rigid forks, but I love the concept. Maybe I can find something similar, just smaller.
Thanks so much. I'll keep those in mind.

saddlesores

I don't have this fork any longer to measure, but i'ma bet they'd fit. If not, could always just add a shim.

You could also look at bolt-on doohickies that let you attach downtube shifters or cable mounts, although i'm not sure about their durability holding up a small pack.
Might could look into seattube clamps designed to attach a bolt-on front derailler....







something like this...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304595001564

djb

I also would think that a Surly fork for an Ogre or something would be a possible solution. I cannot recall if they still have the rim brake bosses still, but I also agree on thinking of setting up a front disc if you have a disc designed fork. I've used mechanical discs for years and any of the more established mech. options are a proven, well performing option.

Of course, changing out a fork will mean you should inform yourself very well in fork and frame geometry numbers and be aware of how putting on a different fork could change all kinds of parameters of your bikes riding and steering quality. In the past I briefly thought of changing the suspension fork on my old mountain bike for a rigid one, thinking I might use that bike for some long trips in Latin America, but in the end I got my Troll---but I never did seriously learn all about fork details and the impact of all the different rakes, wheelbase, etc etc, but I did read enough to be wary of how a poorly chosen fork replacement could mess up how a bike would ride, so be wary and well informed.

Topeak does makes fork cages that come with the adapters for forks without mounting holes. I have these but do not use the provided mounts as my Surly Troll has cage mounts, so can't really vouch for how well the separate mounts work.

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/1129-VERSACAGE

PS, what bike do you want to do the fork change for?

M.Lou.B

"Topeak does makes fork cages that come with the adapters for forks without mounting holes. I have these but do not use the provided mounts as my Surly Troll has cage mounts, so can't really vouch for how well the separate mounts work."

Thank you, that is gold info. I'll look into those.
Using adapter clamps, I could choose from a larger variety of forks and hopefully find something that's very similar in geometry to the old fork.

We're actually looking for two forks for two separate bikes, both 1 1/8" steer tubes, both have threaded forks with quill stems.
Mine is a Trek Multitrack 7300 (from 2000 or 2001) with a heavy CroMoly fork and a quill-to-ahead adapter. I'm hoping to shed some weight with a new fork that would allow for a true ahead built.
My partner's is an old but beautiful Bauer Trekking Line Dusty which we're restoring. The old suspension fork is completely rusted. We're planning a bike-packing built with drop bar conversion, ahead stem and a rigid fork. We've kept the old fork for reference.

Thanks for pointing out that swapping the fork may impact the entire geometry, steering and riding properties. We are aware,and we do hope to find something similar. If you've got any more information on what to consider when swapping the fork, that'd be really helpful.

Thanks again for your help, we really appreciate this!

M.Lou.B

Thank you so much for all the info.

The seat tube clamps are a very interesting thought. I'll keep it in mind for sure! Cool solution!

Tourist in MSN

Ideally, the lower headset bearing race (or fork crown race) to axle length and the fork rake (or offset) would match the old fork if you want the handling to be the same.

I am not a frame designer, so I can't elaborate on how handling changes as you deviate from the original fork measurements.

Example, several years ago I bought a new frame from the manufacturer without the fork. The manufacturer recommended fork length from the crown race to axle and the fork rake were nearly identical to an old rim brake fork that I had in storage, so I used my old fork instead of buying the disc brake fork that the frame manufacturer suggested, saving over $400. I was happy to save the money, the result is a bike with rim brake front and disc brake rear, which works just fine.

djb

I really wonder how much weight you would save with a different fork? and at what cost?
Given this bike is a bit of a regular old hybrid, and you'll be spending money on the bars and shifters conversion, is it worth changing the fork?
How many speeds does this have, 7, 8? Again, is it worth all this or are you going to change to a more modern drivetrain?

just wondering tis all.

djb

PS, before I forget, if you do end up looking into a new fork, make super sure that the "steerer", the pokey up part, is good and long so that your dropbar conversion is not too low. This frame was made for a higher stem and flat bars that probably had some rise to them, so just be wary of a dropbar setup that doesnt require a super steep up angled stem. Some forks come with longer steerers, so you'll want to figure out where you'd want the stem to be.
My touring bike has a long steerer, and it was basically a mtb, and I put dropbars on it--and I was super happy that the original fork never had the steerer cut by the first owner, so this made putting drops on it easier. I have lots of spacers under my stem, some people hate that look, but I dont care as the bars are at the right height for me, and I can spend weeks and months on this bike and be comfortable.

M.Lou.B

Good point.
Old fork is CroMo steel plus an Ahead-Adapter. So I'm thinking I "might" save some weight, but I as long as I can't find a fork that checks all the boxes, I'll stick with this one.

It's a 3x8 shimano nexave, the one the bike originally came with, and it's still in pretty good condition for the time being. I might change to a more modern drivetrain once it's worn down.

Of course this is not an economical upgrade by any means, I totally agree with you.
For the brifter conversion we did use scavenged ebay parts, which made it a lot more affordable. While it did swallow a lot of money over time, this bike has taught be everything along the way. I went from being a complete newbie to being able to fix my friends' bikes. So it's a bit of a sentimental thing. I also couldn't afford a new bike right now, but little upgrades here and there or a new tool bring so much joy.

I agree with you that there are more modern bikes out there. It's not economical. I see your point. It's something else. I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense

M.Lou.B

I really love the Tailfin option that allows you to mount both a rack and a bottle cage. Do you happen to know of a solution for slightly slimmer forks?
I measured and these are too wide.

Really cool idea, thank you so much for pointing this out!

saddlesores

make a list of all the manufacturers what offer fork bags and fork cargo/water racks.
check their websites to see if they also sell spare fork clamps.

if it was me, i'd just go to ebay and put "fork clamp bicycle" in the search bar.

oooh! lookie!

Bicycle fork clamp mount - 3 holes for XL water bottles bikepacking, touring ($24 + shipping from colorado)

Mount large bottle cages to your rigid fork, suspension fork, downtube, E-bike, or anywhere else it may be useful.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/15566441887...UAAOSwYrlksGUS

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NycAA...Ts/s-l960.webp
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LzUAA...US/s-l960.webp

Garthr

Soma has lots of forks, some appear to meet the criteria.

https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/cat...ss-touring-774

djb

that's great that this project was a good learning exercise. With everything new in life, we have to start somewhere, so this sounds like it was a great project to become more comfortable doing mechanical stuff.
I started wanting to get to know how to do my own work well over 30 years ago, when I started bike touring, and am so glad I made the first step.
Basically we learn little bit by little bit, and slowly accumulate tools and the most important-hands on knowledge, as we go. Generally a friendly mechanic at a local bike shop will be happy to check over work you've done, thats how it was with me. I'd do stuff and then pay them a bit to go over it and make sure/give recommendations.

Have you learned how to disassemble wheel hubs to regrease teh bearings inside? This also is a really good skill to learn, its not hard but totally worth it.
And by extension, you'll learn how to clean, relube and properly adjust all the bikes bearing points, the headset also. The bottom bracket probably is a sealed square taper thing you never have to touch, but if it needs replacing, its good to learn how to do it yourself also.
In the end, with all the slowly accumulated knowledge we pick up, we save money in the long run and also feel a lot more confident in our bikes because we know intimately how they are and in good running shape.