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Road carbon fork fit

Old 11-16-22, 03:57 PM
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Redbullet
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Road carbon fork fit

Hi,
I have problems in finding a carbon tapered fork 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 for a road bike. Grateful if somebody can clarify:
1. Road bike forks for sale usually have cylindrical crown as shown below. What kind of bearing (headset) they use? The existing bearing, attached in picture, has a conical shape, so it does not fit?
2. How important is fork rake? Do I risk to choose a wrong fork, since it is difficult to measure rake and find an identical replacement?



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Old 11-16-22, 05:02 PM
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alcjphil
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The fork in the picture needs a crown race so that the bearing will fit properly
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Old 11-16-22, 05:44 PM
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maddog34
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
The fork in the picture needs a crown race so that the bearing will fit properly
the "race" is more like an Alignment seat, but yes, that fork will need it... it will also hold the outer race of the bearing up off the fork.

here's a Simplified primer on Rake and TRAIL... Bicycle people use the terms incorrectly... they also confuse offset with rake, further muddying the Bicycle waters... the drawing in this piece shows Zero offset...that won't be seen in the real world .https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/05/2...ake-and-trail/

here's the Bicycle world version of the whole steering thing... https://www.ebcyclinglaw.com/bicycle...teering%20axis.

in the automotive world.. "Rake" or "Steering head angle" is called CASTER... and CAMBER is a sideways version of CASTER.

the "offset" is used to alter trail and aid steering ease. You may or may not be able to sense small changes in this spec. A bike with ZERO Rake (Steering Head angle) will put you on your noggin in a hurry if you aren't prepared. Tiny differences in the specifications are the subject of Endless debate. Any number of Opinions exist.... feel free to look up several! Expect such a discussion to develop here shortly. I won't choose to join it.

Last edited by maddog34; 11-16-22 at 06:31 PM.
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Old 11-17-22, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Redbullet
2. How important is fork rake? Do I risk to choose a wrong fork, since it is difficult to measure rake and find an identical replacement?
Offset, or rake, is the span between the centerline of the steerer to the centerline of the axle. Trail is the span between the the intersect of the centerline of the steerer and the contact point of the wheel on the ground. On a regular road bicycle with a head angle between 71 and 74 degrees, more offset means less trail.

Bikes with less trail are more responsive to handlebar steering inputs. Bikes with more trail are more responsive to weight shift steering inputs. The steering tends to feel "heavy" at the handlebar. Obviously, you need a bit of both.

Generally, with a head angle of 72-73.5 degrees, you can't go wrong with 43-45 mm of offset. With a head angle of 72 degrees or less, or if you like a lighter feel over rough terrain, look for 45-50 mm.
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Old 11-18-22, 07:46 AM
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Originally Posted by oldbobcat
Generally, with a head angle of 72-73.5 degrees, you can't go wrong with 43-45 mm of offset. With a head angle of 72 degrees or less, or if you like a lighter feel over rough terrain, look for 45-50 mm.
Thanks, it clarifies.
Head angle is 73.5, so it means I should look for 43-45 mm.
Am I wrong, or the offer for replacement road carbon forks seriously decreased? I encounter big difficulties to find a good carbon tapered fork 1 1/4 - 1 1/8, for rim brakes, not to mention the price....
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Old 11-18-22, 10:18 AM
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Here's one: rim brake & QR, 1 1/8 at the stem, 1 1/4 at the crown, 43 or 45 mm offset. https://www.jensonusa.com/ENVE-Carbon-20-Road-Fork
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Old 11-18-22, 02:32 PM
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Thanks, it looks ok. However, hard to find in Europe. Taxes and transport from USA would raise the price from 450 to some 600. I'll still search in EU, to make some savings.
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Old 11-19-22, 12:04 AM
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Have you looked at Columbus forks? Last time I looked, there was a bunch of different versions, and many online sellers. Good quality, not cheap, but commensurate with quality.
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Old 11-19-22, 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Camilo
Have you looked at Columbus forks? Last time I looked, there was a bunch of different versions, and many online sellers. Good quality, not cheap, but commensurate with quality.
Yes, but you can not really find them in EU. At least not tapered 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 for rim brakes...
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Old 11-19-22, 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Redbullet
Yes, but you can not really find them in EU. At least not tapered 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 for rim brakes...
Really? Italy is in the European Union and Columbus is an Italian company. This would probably the fork I would look at (though they do others): https://www.columbus1919.com/en/port...aliper-slx-en/

Here are two online options should your local shop not be able to order them:
https://ciclicorsa.com/shop/futura-caliper-slx-1-1-4/
https://www.bike24.com/p2275600.html
Here is also a list of their distributors:
https://www.columbus1919.com/en/distributors-en/ (of which Cicli Corsa is one of them)

If nothing else I am pretty sure QBP has a European side and the Whisky Parts Co. forks are quite excellent and those are a house brand of QBP.
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Old 11-19-22, 06:57 PM
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Originally Posted by veganbikes

If nothing else I am pretty sure QBP has a European side and the Whisky Parts Co. forks are quite excellent and those are a house brand of QBP.
I used to sneak into QBP using my old employer's login, just to see what's available. But that account is gone. If you have a local shop I always recommend checking with them first. Unless you hate them.
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