Steel Frame & Stock Aluminum Fork. Early 1990s. Anyone remember this era?
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Steel Frame & Stock Aluminum Fork. Early 1990s. Anyone remember this era?
Hi folks
Wondering if anyone recalls this "aberration" era. A steel bike with a stock aluminum fork would (AFAIK) never be marketed today. But it was for a time. My first real high end road bike (bought it used) was a Specialized Allez Pro from 1994. Tricolour STI. Steel tubes, aluminum fork.
At the time, the fork was advertised as being "lighter" and to actually be vibration damping compared to steel(!). Given aluminum's current reputation for harshness, no one would ever "upgrade" their steel fork for an aluminum one to give a softer ride, but at the time, aluminum's harsh characteristics weren't yet widely known. It was simply considered a newer/lighter/better material found on higher-end bikes in a world of full of steel bikes.
In a sense, the alu fork "upgrade" was kinda the entry into "better tubing", the way modern entry-race alum bikes have carbon forks - they would be for people who didn't shell out for an all-aluminum (now all-carbon) frameset. But alum's characteristics soon trickled out, and then you couldn't advertise it as a vibration-damping material, and hence such bikes were no longer designed/marketed.
Is what I just said all true? I do know steelframe/alumfork existed - I'm just guessing the era was very short lived because it simply didn't make sense. Anyone else have a take on this?
Wondering if anyone recalls this "aberration" era. A steel bike with a stock aluminum fork would (AFAIK) never be marketed today. But it was for a time. My first real high end road bike (bought it used) was a Specialized Allez Pro from 1994. Tricolour STI. Steel tubes, aluminum fork.
At the time, the fork was advertised as being "lighter" and to actually be vibration damping compared to steel(!). Given aluminum's current reputation for harshness, no one would ever "upgrade" their steel fork for an aluminum one to give a softer ride, but at the time, aluminum's harsh characteristics weren't yet widely known. It was simply considered a newer/lighter/better material found on higher-end bikes in a world of full of steel bikes.
In a sense, the alu fork "upgrade" was kinda the entry into "better tubing", the way modern entry-race alum bikes have carbon forks - they would be for people who didn't shell out for an all-aluminum (now all-carbon) frameset. But alum's characteristics soon trickled out, and then you couldn't advertise it as a vibration-damping material, and hence such bikes were no longer designed/marketed.
Is what I just said all true? I do know steelframe/alumfork existed - I'm just guessing the era was very short lived because it simply didn't make sense. Anyone else have a take on this?
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Yeah, I remember that era. Quickly got superceded by CF. I have one of those Allez frames stashed away. Wish the fork was steel.
#4
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I had the carbon tubed Allez Epic with the Alu fork. probably the same fork that was on the steel - Perhaps it was the carbon helping out, but it felt fine and did the job it was made to do with no complaints.
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I'm still riding my Viscount with its so-called Death Fork. I'm still alive. The fork was subject to recall, but I don't think it caused any deaths.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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I have a couple. My Parkpre (Tange Prestige frame tubes) came with a bonded alum Tange Fusion fork. As far as I can tell, the stock fork on my Merlin Ti frame is the same. I also rode a Vitus 979 with it's stock alum fork for many years. No complaints about the ride quality of these forks and I wouldn't say they give a hard ride though I haven't spent as much time on the Merlin. If anything, the 979 fork flexed more than comparable steel forks; you could really see that fork flex with hard front braking.
#7
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The 1998 and 1999 Schwinn Pelotons had an 853 steel frame and aluminum alloy fork. I never owned one, but thought at the time it was an odd combination. In 2000, Schwinn went to a Time Club Carbon fork on the same 853 steel frame which made a lot more sense to me.
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in the early 90ies, some recommended a Vitus fork as a comfort upgrade for any lugged steel frame. My first oversized alloy bike came with one, 1". Still own it, its a sweet ride.
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Yet another example of the bike industry and their decades of BS. I dont know that aluminum forks were necessarily bad, but like many things before and after them, they were marketed as a better ride, then eventualy just vanished. Things like oval tubing, oval chainrings, and aero shifters come to mind as well..
#10
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Yet another example of the bike industry and their decades of BS. I dont know that aluminum forks were necessarily bad, but like many things before and after them, they were marketed as a better ride, then eventualy just vanished. Things like oval tubing, oval chainrings, and aero shifters come to mind as well..
Now oval chainrings, they are something else wanna have a good laugh? check out https://moeve-bikes.de/en/cyfly, sort of oval chainring 2.0
"more efficient" torque *and* "more efficient" performance... yeah, right. These guys call themselves Engineers.
Last edited by martl; 09-12-16 at 03:53 PM.
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I'd like to see the power transmission efficiency from the crank to the chainring...
(for a conventional crank with one moving part, the only loss is in the bottom bracket bearing system, which is common to any crankset.)
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I've got a lot of miles on Aluminum forks both on my GT Edge, and several Cannondale's over the years.
I don't recall it ever being an issue --- but I wasn't in the market for a plush, Lincoln-like ride at the time
I don't recall it ever being an issue --- but I wasn't in the market for a plush, Lincoln-like ride at the time
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My grandfather has a mid-'90s Fuji Team road bike with CrMo frame and 6061 fork...first time I'd ever knowingly seen such a thing, when I was visiting my grandparents this summer. Thought it was really weird...
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Riding like its 1990
Having ridden aluminum forks I agree that's the wrong direction to go! What about the opposite: Alloy main tubes bonded to steel parts with a steel fork? Good old Univega Viva-tech. It was a strange time indeed.
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Kinesis, SR (Prism), and others produced some very nice riding aluminum forks in that era.
The claim that an aluminum fork will give a harsh ride is absolute nonsense. The ride properties of any fork, of any material will be determined by the wall thickness, taper, curve and mechanical properties of the material.
Aluminum frames tend to be stiff and ride harshly not because they are aluminum, but because they were produced in an era of "stiffer is better and stiffest is best" and the makers used oversized tubes to maximize stiffness.
That doesn't apply to forks which have tapered and curved blades, especially when the blade is made by thinning the walls at what will be tapered down. Thinning before tapering reduces the tendency of walls to thicken as they're tapered to smaller diameters.
Bonding rather than welding also allows the designer to work with thinner tubes so achieving good ride quality is easier.
The claim that an aluminum fork will give a harsh ride is absolute nonsense. The ride properties of any fork, of any material will be determined by the wall thickness, taper, curve and mechanical properties of the material.
Aluminum frames tend to be stiff and ride harshly not because they are aluminum, but because they were produced in an era of "stiffer is better and stiffest is best" and the makers used oversized tubes to maximize stiffness.
That doesn't apply to forks which have tapered and curved blades, especially when the blade is made by thinning the walls at what will be tapered down. Thinning before tapering reduces the tendency of walls to thicken as they're tapered to smaller diameters.
Bonding rather than welding also allows the designer to work with thinner tubes so achieving good ride quality is easier.
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My 1999 was one of these. I took it on a 3 week business trip to Mississippi and put a lot of miles on it down there where the roads were dreamy, smooth pavement. The bike was so fast, responsive and joyful to ride. Then I got back home to the nasty chipseal roads we have here and that straight, aluminum fork would just beat the heck out of me. I sold the bike in a moment of weakness when I thought I had too many bikes. I do miss it but to be honest it was a harsh beast if the roads weren't perfect.
I also would buy it back today if it was for sale. I loved it and I hated it....
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Steel is real...and comfy.
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Happened to find this in a 1993 Suntour / SR catalog.
[IMG]SunTour and SR catalog 1993 aluminum fork by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]SunTour and SR catalog 1993 aluminum fork by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
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It could be the V-rims and skinny tires I put on it after the "as found" pic, but this is definitely the harshest riding bike in my rotation right now. Feels fast, though.
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
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Happened to find this in a 1993 Suntour / SR catalog.SunTour and SR catalog 1993 aluminum fork by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]
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An early 90's Specialized Allez Epic was my first "light" performance bicycle. I loved this bike and it blew me away every time I rode it. Granted my only comparison at that time was a few thrift shop, boat anchor bikes. But even later, after picking up a nicer italian steel frame, I still recall loving that Allez. Eventually I sold it but I can't say I ever thought the fork negatively affected the ride.
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Kinesis, SR (Prism), and others produced some very nice riding aluminum forks in that era.
The claim that an aluminum fork will give a harsh ride is absolute nonsense. The ride properties of any fork, of any material will be determined by the wall thickness, taper, curve and mechanical properties of the material.
Aluminum frames tend to be stiff and ride harshly not because they are aluminum, but because they were produced in an era of "stiffer is better and stiffest is best" and the makers used oversized tubes to maximize stiffness.
That doesn't apply to forks which have tapered and curved blades, especially when the blade is made by thinning the walls at what will be tapered down. Thinning before tapering reduces the tendency of walls to thicken as they're tapered to smaller diameters.
Bonding rather than welding also allows the designer to work with thinner tubes so achieving good ride quality is easier.
The claim that an aluminum fork will give a harsh ride is absolute nonsense. The ride properties of any fork, of any material will be determined by the wall thickness, taper, curve and mechanical properties of the material.
Aluminum frames tend to be stiff and ride harshly not because they are aluminum, but because they were produced in an era of "stiffer is better and stiffest is best" and the makers used oversized tubes to maximize stiffness.
That doesn't apply to forks which have tapered and curved blades, especially when the blade is made by thinning the walls at what will be tapered down. Thinning before tapering reduces the tendency of walls to thicken as they're tapered to smaller diameters.
Bonding rather than welding also allows the designer to work with thinner tubes so achieving good ride quality is easier.
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Hi folks
Wondering if anyone recalls this "aberration" era. A steel bike with a stock aluminum fork would (AFAIK) never be marketed today. But it was for a time. My first real high end road bike (bought it used) was a Specialized Allez Pro from 1994. Tricolour STI. Steel tubes, aluminum fork.
At the time, the fork was advertised as being "lighter" and to actually be vibration damping compared to steel(!). Given aluminum's current reputation for harshness, no one would ever "upgrade" their steel fork for an aluminum one to give a softer ride, but at the time, aluminum's harsh characteristics weren't yet widely known. It was simply considered a newer/lighter/better material found on higher-end bikes in a world of full of steel bikes.
In a sense, the alu fork "upgrade" was kinda the entry into "better tubing", the way modern entry-race alum bikes have carbon forks - they would be for people who didn't shell out for an all-aluminum (now all-carbon) frameset. But alum's characteristics soon trickled out, and then you couldn't advertise it as a vibration-damping material, and hence such bikes were no longer designed/marketed.
Is what I just said all true? I do know steelframe/alumfork existed - I'm just guessing the era was very short lived because it simply didn't make sense. Anyone else have a take on this?
Wondering if anyone recalls this "aberration" era. A steel bike with a stock aluminum fork would (AFAIK) never be marketed today. But it was for a time. My first real high end road bike (bought it used) was a Specialized Allez Pro from 1994. Tricolour STI. Steel tubes, aluminum fork.
At the time, the fork was advertised as being "lighter" and to actually be vibration damping compared to steel(!). Given aluminum's current reputation for harshness, no one would ever "upgrade" their steel fork for an aluminum one to give a softer ride, but at the time, aluminum's harsh characteristics weren't yet widely known. It was simply considered a newer/lighter/better material found on higher-end bikes in a world of full of steel bikes.
In a sense, the alu fork "upgrade" was kinda the entry into "better tubing", the way modern entry-race alum bikes have carbon forks - they would be for people who didn't shell out for an all-aluminum (now all-carbon) frameset. But alum's characteristics soon trickled out, and then you couldn't advertise it as a vibration-damping material, and hence such bikes were no longer designed/marketed.
Is what I just said all true? I do know steelframe/alumfork existed - I'm just guessing the era was very short lived because it simply didn't make sense. Anyone else have a take on this?
I'm not quite sure where to start here. Aluminum is considerably less stiff than steel. This has been common knowledge a long time. Sophomore engineering As a fork with cross section remotely close to steel, it is a lot more flexible. What made aluminum famous as a "stiff" frame material was the huge diameters used for the tubes. Again, not "new" knowledge. I did a quick ride on an early Klein in 1976. I couldn't have flexed that bike at twice my weight and strength.
I owned a Lambert. That fork was not stiff. Very comfortable on rough roads. The 1990s aluminum forks I saw weren't a lot thicker so obviously also not very stiff.
Edit: Oops. Guilty of answering an ancient post.
Last edited by 79pmooney; 06-22-21 at 09:13 PM. Reason: added paragraph return to be more readable
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This. Steel is actually a more stiff metal than aluminum. The early pre-Cannondale aluminum frames with tubes of the same diameter of steel, such as Vitus, were noodles.
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