Originally Posted by
Trakhak
Short answer: Or at least it's not regarded as an automatic fail.
Europe has a much longer tradition than the U.S. of adults riding bikes for transportation, racing, touring, etc. It's likely that many cyclists there are more pragmatic and less fashion-driven in their choices than their U.S. counterparts. If aluminum forks have proven to be at least as reliable as or more reliable than steel forks in testing (in addition to being lighter and more resistant to the flexing forces that make loaded touring bikes difficult to control, especially for out-of-the-saddle pedaling), then that would explain why a company like Koga-Miyata would make the switch to aluminum.
The only surprise to me is that Trek elected to use aluminum forks for both the European and U.S. markets. They must know that U.S. touring riders tend to be less open-minded about such changes than European riders.
Aluminum only started being entertained as a bike frame/fork material in the 1970s and 1980s. To suggest that a person or group of people is more “pragmatic” for using an aluminum framed bike for touring and then insinuate that someone who prefers a steel frame is “fashion-driven” in their choice or preference for a steel framed/forked bike for touring/carrying weight is absolutely ridiculous.
Steel has a long proven tradition and history as a proven bike frame/fork material if constructed with reasonable attention to detail and with some basic preventative maintenance. I’m not saying other materials can’t perform well in this regard if engineered & built correctly however I have a saying I live by from my experience rafting that famous catarafter Mark Cramer lives by which is “never give the river a free shot.” Or in other words you have control over a lot of variables in your chosen activity / profession / hobby and there were some variables you can’t control, and If you don’t control the variables you can control then you’re inviting potential for problems. Create doubt in a persons mind and many will seek ways to eliminate that doubt (doubt in this case could turn into a liability).
Is the aluminum fork going to fail right away ? Probably not. Will it provide years of trouble free touring Miles? More than likely. Do I trust Treks engineering in this application? Generally. But then again engineering these days is done by humans and I deal with engineers sometimes who do make mistakes. And a lot of times engineering is not about where you can make something stronger but about where you can cut but still maintain a certain standard of strength and/or performance. Ultimately the choice is yours. Feel confidence knowing your choice is more “pragmatic” and mine is “fashion driven”
LOL