Back to the 90s
#1
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Back to the 90s
I have a road fork from around 97. The dropouts are alloy, as is the threaded steerer, but the legs seem to have a curious carbon-patterned lacquer effect.
Was this just the cosmetic style of some alloy forks in the 90s?
Or could they be carbon?
I haven't got the fork with me so I cant do the tap-sound test.
Any opinions greatly appreciated.
Was this just the cosmetic style of some alloy forks in the 90s?
Or could they be carbon?
I haven't got the fork with me so I cant do the tap-sound test.
Any opinions greatly appreciated.
#5
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Kinesis made them.
#6
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Thanks. Im having trouble uploading a photo of my fork but its identical at the dropouts to your pic. The bridge looks a little different in that its still carbon (or carbon effect) right up to the top tube.
#7
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I think it was a trait of all carbon frames and forks that you could see the fiberglass, just like bare titanium frames. If you’re going to spend that much money you wanted to show it.
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Could be something high quality, or it could be something inexpensive like the fork in the link below. Without any markings, it would probably need to be removed and checked for marks on the steering tube, and checked for weight. The lighter it is, likely the higher the quality.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nashbar-1-I...MAAOSw~9Fen2C-
I bought a fork similar to this one this a while back, and when I took it out of the box it weighed a ton. It weighed the same as the old Mangaloy fork it was replacing. I couldn't believe carbon fiber could be so heavy!
Then I chipped the fork, and discovered it was just a cheap heavy aluminum fork that had been painted with a fake carbon fiber pattern. I doubt it had any carbon fiber at all in it, or maybe they taped a small piece of it inside the steerer tube or something. I was appalled, but I digress ...
Hopefully yours is better quality than mine, the fork tips look to be of decent quality, but I think the weight will tell you a lot.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nashbar-1-I...MAAOSw~9Fen2C-
I bought a fork similar to this one this a while back, and when I took it out of the box it weighed a ton. It weighed the same as the old Mangaloy fork it was replacing. I couldn't believe carbon fiber could be so heavy!
Then I chipped the fork, and discovered it was just a cheap heavy aluminum fork that had been painted with a fake carbon fiber pattern. I doubt it had any carbon fiber at all in it, or maybe they taped a small piece of it inside the steerer tube or something. I was appalled, but I digress ...
Hopefully yours is better quality than mine, the fork tips look to be of decent quality, but I think the weight will tell you a lot.
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That said, there was a lot of aluminum being wrapped in carbon in the 90s. Any stamping on the steerer tube? What bike is this on? It might be a stock fork and some internet sleuthing could tell you whether it's real carbon or not.
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Could it be this fork?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kinesis-Car....c100009.m1982
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kinesis-Car....c100009.m1982
#13
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Ha! That's the photo of my forks, I can't upload here yet. It's not a clear pic but you can just make out the carbon pattern graduating to solid black at the top. Thanks.
#14
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There's a good chance it's carbon. This was (and is to a certain extant) a common fork construction technique. It's easier and probably cheaper to use metal to safely handle the clamping forces of quick releases and stems. Columbus and others still make forks like this
That said, there was a lot of aluminum being wrapped in carbon in the 90s. Any stamping on the steerer tube? What bike is this on? It might be a stock fork and some internet sleuthing could tell you whether it's real carbon or not.
That said, there was a lot of aluminum being wrapped in carbon in the 90s. Any stamping on the steerer tube? What bike is this on? It might be a stock fork and some internet sleuthing could tell you whether it's real carbon or not.
Hi, there are no external decals. And until I can get to the bike and remove the fork, I can't tell if there are any stampings on the tube. It's on old CAD3 of the same era. Thanks.
#16
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Could be something high quality, or it could be something inexpensive like the fork in the link below. Without any markings, it would probably need to be removed and checked for marks on the steering tube, and checked for weight. The lighter it is, likely the higher the quality.
I bought a fork similar to this one this a while back, and when I took it out of the box it weighed a ton. It weighed the same as the old Mangaloy fork it was replacing. I couldn't believe carbon fiber could be so heavy!
Then I chipped the fork, and discovered it was just a cheap heavy aluminum fork that had been painted with a fake carbon fiber pattern. I doubt it had any carbon fiber at all in it, or maybe they taped a small piece of it inside the steerer tube or something. I was appalled, but I digress ...
Hopefully yours is better quality than mine, the fork tips look to be of decent quality, but I think the weight will tell you a lot.
I bought a fork similar to this one this a while back, and when I took it out of the box it weighed a ton. It weighed the same as the old Mangaloy fork it was replacing. I couldn't believe carbon fiber could be so heavy!
Then I chipped the fork, and discovered it was just a cheap heavy aluminum fork that had been painted with a fake carbon fiber pattern. I doubt it had any carbon fiber at all in it, or maybe they taped a small piece of it inside the steerer tube or something. I was appalled, but I digress ...
Hopefully yours is better quality than mine, the fork tips look to be of decent quality, but I think the weight will tell you a lot.
Mine is a threaded fork so it hasn't got a long steerer tube like the one shown in your link. But it might well be wrapped aluminum. Ta.
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#18
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#19
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From the catalogue you linked, it looks like it's a 1996 R600 with a "Light, shock-dampening carbon composite fork." I think you've solved my mystery. Thanks.
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