Steel Frame...What Forks...?

broachboy

Morning forum goers, I require some advice please - I have had my Daccordi Columbus EL frame renovated and to finish it off I want to fit the best possible 1" forks, maybe when I say the best possible I mean it in the way of comfort and not cost, question is should I fit the old steel crome forks or should I go for a full carbon fork [?] Do any forummers have experience of riding a full steel frame with carbon forks [?] I intend to use the bike when built for club runs, audax, racing and general middle / long distance pleasure rides,any advice welcomed [;)][:)]

TIA

Andy

My Fixie

My Volvo

monty_dogcp

I've fitted full carbon forks to a couple of steel frames and there is a noticeable difference - both in weight and a slightly smoother ride. I'm sure there'll be a few nay-sayers along shortly who will condemn carbon forks for 'sudden and catastrophic' failures, whereas I've seen far more broken steel forks - usually due to internal corrosion. These days you may have to dig around to find a decent 1" carbon fork, but something like a Mizuno Fiandre with tapered straight blades looks good - if you can still find some. It also depends on whether you want to fit mudguards or not?

broachboy

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Monty Dog</i>

I've fitted full carbon forks to a couple of steel frames and there is a noticeable difference - both in weight and a slightly smoother ride. I'm sure there'll be a few nay-sayers along shortly who will condemn carbon forks for 'sudden and catastrophic' failures, whereas I've seen far more broken steel forks - usually due to internal corrosion. These days you may have to dig around to find a decent 1" carbon fork, but something like a Mizuno Fiandre with tapered straight blades looks good - if you can still find some. It also depends on whether you want to fit mudguards or not?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Cheers Monty for your reply [;)]

I forgot to say that I won't be fitting mudguards, there are no eyes or clearance on the rear of the frame, it is basically an out and out racing frame. [:)]

My Fixie

My Volvo

Unknown

I think you're main problem will be finding a decent pair of 1" carbon forks now. Sadly most suppliers seem to have stopped stocking them. I've seen some on ebay but mainly in the US.

I tend to agree with what Monty said, i.e. that there is a (slight) improvement in the ride quality when upgrading from steel to carbon forks. That said, I still think a nice steel frame looks very good with a full chromed steel fork.

gundersen

http://www.gundersen.id.au/graham/bikes.html

JWSurrey

I ride a steel Condor Fratello with Deda deep-drop carbon forks.
Their Accio also runs a steel frame with carbon forks.

The Frat. runs really nicely and seems to be a very popular model.
I'm lead to believe that the feel of carbon and steel are similar, with Ally forks being the poor cousin in terms of ride quality.

Give them a ring to see if they can source a '1" steerer' - Ask Bern thread may elicit a response, as I think it was asked a month or two ago.

Failing that, Argos Cycles seem to be hot on the frame restoration trail!

giant_man

I'm wondering of the difference in ride quality between steel and carbon forks out of interest

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SIZE IS EVERYTHING! or at least that's what my LBS tells me.

monty_dogcp

In the last year I've run the original steel, a pair of carbon and now a pair of aluminium forks on one of my steel Gios frames. The steel fork was quiet compliant - helped by a 45mm rake but as it is over 20 years old and showing a fair bit of internal and external corrosion, I've always been a bit nervous. I swapped to a pair of Alpina carbon forks and it was noticeable the different in weight and lack of vibration. Having now swapped those forks to another frame, I'm now using a pair of old Alan aluminium forks, which are both harsh and flexy at the same time!

gundersen

I have tried Look and Mizuno carbon forks on my present steel frame and there is a big difference in how they handle. Look were quicker and Mizuno more stable. So you should ask your mates if you can try their bikes to se if you can sus that one out -because of our personal preferences.

broachboy

just a quick note to say thanks [;)] to all who replied to my dilemma...

I think that reading your responses and other info on the net I will store the original steel fork and go with a 1" carbon if I can find one, I have seen some Easton 1" full carbon forks on ebay in the US - any thoughts on this one [?], but I am willing to go for anything decent, though I would have liked an Italian branded fork to complete the full Italian restoration [:I][:)][:D][;)]

Regards

Andy

My Fixie

My Volvo

Flying_Monkey

YHM

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Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety

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mdaccordi

Total Cycling have some 1" Steerer forks, They have some Colnago full carbon ones if you want to pay around œ500, some Oval R900 full carbon ones for about œ250 or some Deda ones with Ally Steerer for about œ84, check out their web site.
Chain Reaction Cycles have the Easton ones for about œ199.

acorn_user

I would call All Terrain Cycles. I got a Look HSC3 fork from them in 1". I've not ridden this bike with a steel fork though.
The Look fork is pretty nice. It's unbelievably light, and looks nice too. Beyond that, I'm probably not experienced enough to say.

If you want Italian, there's the Deda option, and you might find an ITM or Selcof if you look hard enough. I think Stella Azzura still make the Bellagio fork in 1" too. This is, if this is a resto, your bike might well look nicer in Chrome...

broachboy

once again thanks for all your advice and help [;)] I will keep you posted to which brand of fork I go for very shortly

regards [:)]

Andy

My Fixie

My Volvo

gundersen

And I can reccomend
http://bike-components.de/catalog/Mizun ... osCsid=b87
Mizuno is Japanese, Italian designed by Pesenti, and made in Taiwan

cooper.michael1

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mdaccordi</i>

Total Cycling have some 1" Steerer forks, They have some Colnago full carbon ones if you want to pay around œ500, some Oval R900 full carbon ones for about œ250 or some Deda ones with Ally Steerer for about œ84, check out their web site.
Chain Reaction Cycles have the Easton ones for about œ199.
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Those Deda Forks are œ60 at parkers.

My question is with an old bike, where the original forks take long drop brakes (and the therefore maybe a bit longer??) Can you now fit some modern close clearance forks?...and not mess up the geometry.

Coops

broachboy

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by cooper.michael1</i>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mdaccordi</i>

Total Cycling have some 1" Steerer forks, They have some Colnago full carbon ones if you want to pay around œ500, some Oval R900 full carbon ones for about œ250 or some Deda ones with Ally Steerer for about œ84, check out their web site.
Chain Reaction Cycles have the Easton ones for about œ199.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Those Deda Forks are œ60 at parkers...

Coops
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Cheers for pointing that out Coops [;)] parkers is very close to me and I will defo going to take a ride over now [:)][;)]

Andy

My Fixie

My Volvo