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Weight difference between steel and carbon forks

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Weight difference between steel and carbon forks

Old 10-13-21, 03:21 PM
  #51  
Riveting
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Originally Posted by Kapusta
$200 to drop nearly 2lbs sounds pretty reasonable to me.

ignore the haters.
I always heard the rule of thumb for upgrades was to pay $500 to drop 1lb, so this was in fact a $1,000 upgrade that only cost $200. Not bad.
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Old 10-13-21, 04:12 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by Riveting
I always heard the rule of thumb for upgrades was to pay $500 to drop 1lb, so this was in fact a $1,000 upgrade that only cost $200. Not bad.
Absolutely!

Originally Posted by Kapusta
$200 to drop nearly 2lbs sounds pretty reasonable to me.
I think so!
This is probably where you can save more weight for less money!!

Originally Posted by Kapusta
ignore the haters.
I always (try to) do it! 😉
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Old 10-13-21, 07:19 PM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by JBerto
Well... I've just received the carbon fork for my bike... and it weight a lot less than what TREK said:


Real weight: 616gr carbon/Alloy TREK FX fork 😀
I wonder if the higher quoted weight is for the disc version of their carbon fork?

Were you ever tempted to go with disc brakes up front, v-brakes at the back?
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Old 10-14-21, 12:41 AM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by ColonelSanders
I wonder if the higher quoted weight is for the disc version of their carbon fork?

Were you ever tempted to go with disc brakes up front, v-brakes at the back?
Not really... I thought about it, but disc brakes add weight over V-Brakes (and I would have to change wheel too, and I've good and light wheels now). My v-brakes works great for me so... For my "project", it seems disc brake systems isn't a improvement.

And, I think is easier to mount/dismount front wheel with V-Brakes than with disc brake (not sure about it), and that is important to me (I need to dismount front wheel to transport my bike in the car).

Anyway, do you think disc brake in the front would be and improvement? Really interested in your opinions!!!
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Old 10-14-21, 01:11 AM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by JBerto
Anyway, do you think disc brake in the front would be and improvement? Really interested in your opinions!!!
It probably doesn't make much sense in your case, as you have a good front wheel and if you have good rim brakes, then disc brakes aren't a must have for a bike like yours, unless you regularly ride in the rain.

I've read that sometimes owners of Surly Long Haul Truckers will replace their fork with the Disc Trucker fork, but this is a very small number of people doing that and their needs are likely very different to yours.

Because you were going to replace a fork you weren't happy with, I was just wondering if you had considered it.
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Old 10-14-21, 06:25 AM
  #56  
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I am rehabilitating a hybrid for my wife. It had a suspension fork which was somewhat questionable after being in a wreck. I decided to stick with rim brakes and not to get a disc fork. Even though the new fork is low-end steel, it's going to save a lot of weight over the suspension fork, which I think weighs more than the frame. This is not the case with high-end suspension forks, which are surprisingly light.
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Old 10-14-21, 08:34 AM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Riveting
I always heard the rule of thumb for upgrades was to pay $500 to drop 1lb, so this was in fact a $1,000 upgrade that only cost $200. Not bad.
I like the thought process, though it seems a complete FX bike with a CF fork only costs about $900 :-)
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Old 10-14-21, 10:58 AM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
I like the thought process, though it seems a complete FX bike with a CF fork only costs about $900 :-)
You're preaching to the BF choir on this one, but what I'm hearing you say is that they saved $700 by replacing the fork only for $200.

I personally commute on a very heavy (55+ lbs with panniers loaded with work clothes and lunch) entry-level $450 Diamondback hybrid with steel fork, dynamo, adjustable stem, Schwalbe Marathon tires, and electric front hub wheel, and wouldn't dream of spending $200 (nor any amount of $$$) to reduce its weight by any number of lbs. But I'd spend that $200 in a second to reduce the weight of my full carbon Roubaix by 2 lbs. IN A NEW YORK SECOND!!!
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Old 10-14-21, 01:43 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
I like the thought process, though it seems a complete FX bike with a CF fork only costs about $900 :-)
Absolutely!

BUT, I already had the FX, and this has ben a process... at first I did not think I would go that far, I just swaped cassette and rear derailleur... after that, I realised that I don't need a 2x crankset, so I swapped to GRX 1x (40T)... after that, I thoght that I would ride better with different wheels and.... and so on... hahahaha

And the truth is that I'm "building" the bike that fit perfectly to me... and it is FUN!!!!
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Old 10-14-21, 01:59 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
I like the thought process, though it seems a complete FX bike with a CF fork only costs about $900 :-)
He saved $800 by buying the fork, but only would have saved $100 by buying the bike. If he could find one right now. Seems like you could finance some more upgrades using this thought process.
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Old 10-14-21, 03:09 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by JBerto
Hi!

I've a bike with a steel fork (2016 Trek FX 7.1),192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 and to lower weight I'm thinking of replacing the steel fork with a carbon one (the carbon fork of the Trek FX 7.4, with is 100% compatible).

The problem is that I can't find online the weight of my steel fork, and neither the weight of the carbon fork of the Trek FX 7.4

I have asked trek customer service, but they have not been able to tell me that info.

So the question is:
Let's suppose that the steel fork was of excellent quality, and of low weight to be made of steel, and that the carbon one was not so good and of high weight to be made of carbon (to put us at worst!), do you think that there would still be a noticeable weight difference, that would make the replacement worthwhile?

What do you think? Would be a "low quality" carbon fork, still be way lighter than a "high quality" steel fork?
carbon gonna increase speed and durability , it's lighter and stronger against humidity

Last edited by ganthercage; 10-15-21 at 04:13 AM.
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Old 10-14-21, 05:16 PM
  #62  
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Moisture please leave this thread.
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Originally Posted by making
Please dont outsmart the censor. That is a very expensive censor and every time one of you guys outsmart it it makes someone at the home office feel bad. We dont wanna do that. So dont cleverly disguise bad words.
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Old 10-14-21, 05:26 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by Moisture
For whatever you are trying to achieve, I think its a complete waste of time and totally redundant, when you can easily make more of a difference than 500g with your own fitness and performance levels.
Getting a lighter fork does not preclude going on a diet. All gains (or losses in this case) are cumulative.
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Old 10-14-21, 10:55 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
Getting a lighter fork does not preclude going on a diet. All gains (or losses in this case) are cumulative.
Agreed. Everyone can do as much or little as they please to affect weight and performance.

For a few of us though, losing weight isn't an option. This is more directed at the original member who made the comment about losing weight, but for somebody like me, losing any more weight off my already slender physique is out of the question. Any weight losses I personally embark on will be in the form of components and equipment.
HOWEVER, if someone has some extra weight they'd like to lose, more power to 'em.
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Old 10-15-21, 06:22 AM
  #65  
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Y'all can certainly be .... well, never mind.

There is Zero connection between building a light bike and losing weight. That would be like saying no one could buy a Corvette or Camaro unless they drove at a certain (illegal) rate of speed to "justify" the added performance capacity.

People like light bikes because they are light. Fat people, skinny people, fast riders, slow riders .... a light bike is light for all of them.

And people like to lighten their bikes because they want ... lighter bikes. (Stop me if I am going too fast here and I will explain in more detail.)

This guy never intended to have a lighter bike. He got the right bike for him at the time. As time has passed, he has incrementally upgraded and improved his bike, to the point that it is now (for the class of bike, material, etc,) a "light" bike. Bravo! He has built the bike he wants.

Maybe he didn't care about weight when he bought the bike. Maybe he couldn't afford the lighter version, or maybe he couldn't justify spending more for the lighter version back then because he didn't intend to ride enough to make the upgrades make a difference. Maybe he just liked the color of this particular bike. What does it matter?

The OP has changed over time, his cycling habits and his preferences have changed, and he has over time, built exactly the bike he wants.

And people still have to crap on him for it ... because some people cannot manage their own lives and need to take that out on others.

Seems to me the guy has been slowly and steadily improving his bike and now has it just where he wants it. I say he merits congratulations.

At the start of this thread, before he told his story, I advised him not to put any money into this bike, but to buy a better base model. Then he explained that he had already upgraded pretty much every part of the bike, and all that stood between him and owning his home-made version of the top-tier model, was the fork. So he got the fork.

Good for him .... because what really matters? That he saved every penny? In that case, don buy a bike. That he bought a bike back then that he didn't want then, in case he wanted it later? Then wouldn't he needed to have bought half-a-dozen bikes, just in case?

How about, what matters is, all along the way this guy has had a bike he really likes and likes to ride, and now he has almost perfected it?

Yeah .... that seems to make sense.

Anyone who cannot see the sense there .... well, it is BF so I am not surprised.
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Old 10-22-21, 03:46 PM
  #66  
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My "beloved but ancient" TREK FX 7.1 after all the "surgery"... finally!



Yes, it isn't fancy, is old, and probably I would have spend less money buying a new bike... but I like it!
(and now is also light, comfy and "faster enough")

What's new?
Saddle (Bontrager)
Seatpost (carbon, 180g)
Wheels (Mavic Ksyrium S)
Tires (Pirelli Cinturato Velo tubeless 700x28c)
Crankset (Shimano GRX 1x (40T))
Cassette (Shimano 105 11v 11-32)
Rear derrailleur (Shimano 105 11v)
Right sifter (Shimano SL-RS700 11v)
Bottom bracket (Shimano XT)
Chain (Shimano "Supernarrow")
Fork (Trek carbon, 616g)

Last edited by JBerto; 10-22-21 at 05:23 PM.
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Old 10-22-21, 05:04 PM
  #67  
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Nice!
I plan to start a project soon and will probably go the same route. Buy a bike and upgrade it overtime to what I want
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Old 10-22-21, 05:40 PM
  #68  
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Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to do this upgrade, as long as you are happy with it. I recently sold my trek fx 7.3 which I had fitted with 190mm crank arms. It was a beast for being only entry level.

Are you sure the ATC on that fork is same as original? It looks a bit long. Do you know what offset the new fork has and how an increase (or decrease) would affect handling? I believe stock is 45.
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Old 10-22-21, 07:43 PM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by JBerto
My "beloved but ancient" TREK FX 7.1 after all the "surgery"... finally!

What headset did you use?...was the new fork the same steerer diameter as your old fork?
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Old 10-22-21, 10:27 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by Moisture
Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to do this upgrade, as long as you are happy with it. I recently sold my trek fx 7.3 which I had fitted with 190mm crank arms. It was a beast for being only entry level.

Are you sure the ATC on that fork is same as original? It looks a bit long. Do you know what offset the new fork has and how an increase (or decrease) would affect handling? I believe stock is 45.
Yes, ATC and offset are the same as the "original". That carbon fork is from another FX (not 7.1 but a FX 4, I think, TREK customer service told me that ATC and offset are the same)
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Old 10-22-21, 10:28 PM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
What headset did you use?...was the new fork the same steerer diameter as your old fork?
Yes, steer diameter is the same.
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Old 10-26-21, 09:27 AM
  #72  
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Here is another apples-to-apple comparison of lower end steel vs CF forks:

I have in my possession two Some Fog Cutter (V1) forks with steerers cut to identical lengths:
  • CF:760g
  • Steel:1,038g
So, a 278g difference. Not as big a difference as I thought it would be. Though I guess this was a fairly porky CF fork.

Last edited by Kapusta; 10-26-21 at 01:26 PM.
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Old 10-26-21, 11:46 AM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
I replaced the broom handle, then I replaced the worn-out bristles .... twice, then four more times ... then I had to replace the handle again a couple times ..... that old broom has been around forever.

Pretty much I'd say the bike's identity goes with the frame. Once you replace the frame .... I mean, if all you kept was the seat-post clamp binder bolt from the C'dale and Everything else came from somewhere else .... would it still be the same Cannondale?

if you used one part of the old C'dale on 17 different bikes, would they All be the same old Cannondale?

It's never the same river, right?

Such a zen question.
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Old 10-26-21, 12:06 PM
  #74  
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Originally Posted by Pantah
Agreed. Everyone can do as much or little as they please to affect weight and performance.

For a few of us though, losing weight isn't an option. This is more directed at the original member who made the comment about losing weight, but for somebody like me, losing any more weight off my already slender physique is out of the question. Any weight losses I personally embark on will be in the form of components and equipment.
HOWEVER, if someone has some extra weight they'd like to lose, more power to 'em.

Cut off a limb!

Kidding.

I'm not a weight wienie, but why should anyone who is care about my opinion on the subject? You shouldn't care about this because... is never useful advice unless someone has asked "should I care about this?"
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Old 10-26-21, 05:39 PM
  #75  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Cut off a limb!

Kidding
I mean, you're not wrong, it would certainly shave off a good deal of weight, especially a leg. Maybe just take a bit of thigh meat off.
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