Johnk3

A lot of steel frame builders use only carbon forks. Many do not even offer a steel fork option. I know they are lighter, but doesn't that pervert the very purpose of a steel frame? They tout the ride quality of a steel frame, but doesn't the fork have the most actual effect on the feel of the bike's ride? Also, most, but not all, carbon forks are aesthetically clumsy, bulky and awkward looking compared with the rest of the tubing. Doesn't it seem duplicitous for a steel fame builder to brag about the high level of the artistry of his handmade steel frame, only to slap on a mass produced carbon fork?

Here is my new stainless steel Cicli Barco Columbus XCr frame with a stainless fork and a carbon steering tube. It weighs 18 lbs, 14 oz. including the pedals for a 58.5 cm size frame.

Piff 

I get what you're saying about how a only offering a carbon fork for a steel bike doesn't make a huge amount of sense if they're really selling the "steel is real" angle. But pervert? I think that's a bit much, lol. It certainly would look out of place on an old classic, but I would have no qualms about using one for a modern steel bike like a Gunnar.

Fivethumbs

Harumpf! (for the notion that a steel bike needs a steel fork)

Lascauxcaveman 

Congrats on the weight; that's a very light (and probably fast) bike in that size.

But the stem, the vee rims, the saddle, crank and all the other modern running gear in all it's fine blackness are all just waiting for a nice modern carbon fork to join them in perfect harmony. I don't think it'd look anymore out of place than the straight blade steel fork you have (which also looks right at home.) If it was a classic old DeRosa, say, with elegant lugwork and old-school running gear, I would agree a carbon fork would look a bit out of place.

verktyg 

Carbon forks on a steel bike remind me of a strap-on....

verktyg

fishboat

I ride only steel bikes, or Ti. They have either steel or carbon forks and both look and ride very well on their respective bikes. I do think steel forks are highly under-rated in today’s world/modern bikes.

All that being said, forgive me for saying & with all due respect, the fork on the bike above has to be the most butt-ugly fork I’ve ever seen. Perhaps it’s an acquired taste and I’m just a cretin. Yikes..sorry..

Lemond1985

I really appreciate the way a good curved Columbus or Reynolds steel fork bounces around over bumpy chip seal roads, completely smoothing them out. Just watching them as you ride down the road shows how much work they are doing. I'm not sure you get too much of that shock absorption from a straight fork, maybe some.

I will say that confidence-wise, I trust a steel fork not to shatter or break much more than aluminum or carbon fiber. And with the good ones, I don't think there's much of a weight penalty.

Jon T

Carbon forks on a steel frame is akin to putting disc wheels on a Model T Ford. Sure it'll work, but it just ain't right.
Jon

nlerner

Guilty as charged:

Kilroy1988 

I've yet to see many steel forks that are made to go with oversized steel tubing, which I think presents a nice, modern take on that most classic material. Most of the best looking sorts I've seen are carbon forks painted to match.

Russ Roth

Wouldn't say butt-ugly but the legs are kind of spindly looking compared to the diameter of the frame tubes so it doesn't looked designed for the bike.

3alarmer 

...this one came this way from Specialized. I'm not fond of the look, but it's about what stuff looked like when it was made and sold. I don't ride it much any more, but I have no complaints about the handling or the ride. In this case, both the steel OS frame tubes and the fork were designed to be stiffer than traditional steel.

Are there still frame makers making their own custom forks ? I guess maybe there are, but the local guy here lists it as an upgrade, and most people go with the factory forks he uses as stock.

I own a number of Columbus steel chrome factory forks on 80's Italian frames here. They seem to work fine.

3alarmer 

...seriously ? That would worry me. I don't need a carbon steerer I can't see joined to a stainless steel fork that I can in my life. I'd worry about how they were joined, and I already worry too much. The potential for issues where the dissimilar metals join would be a concern, especially at the fork crown, where there's a lot of wetness potential. I'm pleased you like your bicycle, though. Not trying to knock it, just what I would worry about.

droppedandlost 

I think it can look ok if it goes with the rest of the build

sced

Either way can work for me depending on the total package. Not a fan of alotta blackness or fatness. A carbon fork painted to match the frame can look pretty cool.

Cyclist0108

My custom (modern) steel frame came with a carbon fork, seatpost, stem and bars.

Steel itself is an alloy that includes (pun intended) carbon.

In the case of disc brakes, carbon forks offer stiffness advantages.

When I re-did my 1987 steel Bianchi, I made sure all the modern parts were aluminum and sliver-colored (Crampy Athena 11-speed). Carbon would not have looked right.

jyl

Someone needs to try “chrome painting” a carbon fork.

I don’t know if the chrome “paints” are any good or can tolerate flexing. But carbon forks can have a pleasing curved shape, so if they had some glitter, they could look pretty nice.

jyl

The “Minimal” model here is pretty sleek! And not crazy spendy either, comes in 1” steerer.

https://www.henryjames.com/columbus-...bon-forks.html

Here is an alloy 1” threadless headset

https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/head...hreadless.html

Fork 340 g, headset 93 g - hmm, that would take over 1 lb off compared to steel fork and steel headset?

droppedandlost 

the minimal is on both bikes I posted above

jyl

Great looking bikes. What headset are you using, do you like it? Which trail # and finish did you pick for the fork? Any quirks when installing?

RobbieTunes

Couching your opinion in question marks doesn't make it a discussion or even a question, or even less of an accusation, a fact lost on most of the White House press corps... (bring back Sam Donaldson!). But, no, no, and no, if you are accepting answers.

You have a new steel bike with steel fork, great. Nice bike; ride it. Many builders of steel frames offer them with carbon forks, great. Nice bikes; they should be ridden, too.

I have a modern steel bike, with a carbon fork. 16.5 lbs, great. Nice bike; I ride it. Not swapping in a steel fork. Not sorry.

I have three C&V steel bikes with carbon forks swapped in. OMFG!. They look and ride great. I have a 1984 aluminum bike with a carbon fork swapped in for the steel fork. Huuuuge! Improvement. (RIP, Chris Farley). Not sorry.

Conversely, I have swapped in carbon forks many times, and then swapped back, due to no improvement, or even a degradation of ride, on steel C&V bikes. Sorry, I was. It happens.

I took a Kestrel carbon fork off of my Ti bike and replaced it with a Ritchey carbon fork. Rides a lot better. Forks differ, perhaps?

Depends on the fork. Depends on the frame. I do not purport to know more than the frame builders or designers. The builders I do know say a fork is easy to make.

Chirico designed and patented an automated process for making steel forks of high quality back in 1984. Cheaply. They were used in tons of high quality, hand-made steel bikes from Italy. No one knew! No one cared! The horror, the horror! (RIP, Mr. Conrad). None of those builders apologized. It appears they are not sorry.

When I start seeing steel forks commonly used in carbon frames....well, that would be something. No doubt there are many reasons why carbon forks are used on bikes, quality and performance are likely two of them.

It happens. In my experience, Depends on the fork, Depends on the frame.

I'd put a carbon fork in my '59 Sports if I thought it needed it, or would improve it. I'd put a steel fork on my Italian carbon Cipollini if I thought it needed it, or would improve it.

They're just forks. They're just bikes. They're all cool. Unwad the knickers, wear them on a ride.

fabrications

revcp 

I looked at this Lemond Zurich last week (didn't buy it). Apart from the sloppy welding at the joints and the poor paint job it's a decent looking frame. From looking at it wouldn't know, apart from the Time decal, that the fork is carbon. So not all carbon forks have to be ugly. Also, carbon is "soft" riding like steel.

nlerner

If we're going to get picky about aesthetics, what's the deal with the nose of your saddle?! I've heard of LD stems, but not LD saddles.

Johnk3

I did not choose that saddle for its look. One of our local bike shops has a try frame with a clamp to quickly change saddles. They used to have a display of over 100 different saddles, and for a fee they would let you try as many as you needed in order to find one that fit you the best. That saddle was chosen after trying about 80 different saddles, many of them several times. You would be surprised at how different so many saddles feel. It took a long time, but since then I have stuck with the SMP Pro for my bikes. I have three bikes with the SMP Pro, a recent Cinelli Supercorsa with a Brooks Swift and a 35+ year old Simoncini that has a classic Selle San Marco Regal saddle. The shape of the SMP Pro, like all SMP saddles, reduces pressure on parts where you don't want pressure yet still provides support. That particular SMP Pro has a carbon frame and is pretty light; it is also seriously expensive. I was considering getting a super lightweight full carbon saddle to save about 6 ounces, but my 72 year old butt thought the better of it.

guy153

The first oversized aluminium Cannondales that appeared around the early 90s or so were really oversized, or maybe it's just that we weren't used to that look, but they had regular skinny steel forks with quill stems. They look really weird if you see one now.