Fork for touring

mab bee

Just getting into touring. I have done a couple of tours on my Airborne Carpe Diem (identical to the Van Nicholas Amazon) and would like to swap the fork to something more suitable.

My current fork is the Airborne SLX (which Van Nicholas do a version of as well). I'd like to be able to use a front rack. I have been advised by a bike shop expert that using a front rack on the carbon SLX is not a good idea. It has no low rider mounts, so I'd have to get a rack that uses the conti bosses, and the fork may not be up to it apparantly.

So can anyone suggest a good fork that I can get which will support a front rack (either with dedicated mounts or via the canti bosses) and wont look too out of place on my nice titanium frame?

Thanks

MikeyP

I have the very same bike and can highly recommend the Kona Project 2 forks which i've just had fitted to my airborne; they have improved the ride and greatly increased the carpe diems versatility. Probably the best 50 quid I've ever spent on my bike in fact. They are available with lowrider mounts (specify when ordering) and look the part too.

http://www.konaworld.uk.com/stuff/components.php

The steerer tube length is 260mm. As you can see from the pics below, this didn't leave much room for spacers on my 58 cm frame; not a problem for me but could be if you like to run the bars high.

A link to a pic of mine:
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mab bee

Thanks for the suggestion, I think I'll probably go for that fork.

Here's a picture of my Carpe Diem, looking a bit back-heavy. Hopefully a front rack will allow me to even things out a bit. I found that that loading everything on the back led to a bit of flex showing in the frame, and the SLX fork gave some very nasted high speed wobbles on the loaded bike.

MikeyP

Nice picture, with that load you will definately benefit from a lowrider! I don't think you will have any problems with the steerer length on the P2 fork on your frame although a word of caution - the fork legs on the P2 were a bit shorter than the Wound Up fork they relaced on mine; this had the effect of lowering the front end of the bike and steepening the headangle a fraction, handling actually improved as a consequence however! The heavy weight of the fork (over a kilo) is a help in it's own right as far as front end stability is concerned, i know what you mean about high speed wobbles.

It's a bone of contention to me that manufacturers of ti touring frames don't back up their product with a suitable steel fork. If you can't use front panniers for loaded touring on something like a Carpe Diem or VN Amazon then the bike is never going to fulfill it's design philosophy, as they like to put it :roll: