High (ish!) end forks - options?

Mingsta

I'm looking to replace the aging bits on my 6 year old Seven Alaris.

Looking for a fairly high end fork that would fit the following criteria. Ride quality is more important than out an out lightness, but obviously don't want an anchor:

- Less than £300
- ~350 grams
- 42-44mm rake
- 1.125 steerer
- Meets the usual marketting spiel (laterally stiff yet comfortable, makes you go faster)

I'm a bit out of touch with whats out there at the moment. Used to be in to Alpha-Q and Easton EC90 SL - but these don't really seem to be available anymore. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Ta

Monty Dog

Might be better looking over on Weightweenies, but Enve carbon products seem to be highly regarded. For some reason, there's a lot less people selling after-market forks these days - probably due to competition from Chinese producers and product-liability issues.

rozzer32

Get a 3T fork like this

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/3t-funda-team-carbon-road-bike-forks/

3T make fantastic stuff.

DIESELDOG

http://www.i-ride.co.uk/3t/forks/3T_Fun ... Forks.html

These but it won't let me log on to the b2b so I can't get the exact info needed.

Bloody good forks though.

love n hugs

DD

Berk Bonebonce

Carbon forks are carbon forks. What makes a fork 'high end' these days is merely the branding. I would guess that 3T buy their Funda forks from China, and probably from the same factory that make the Easton ones and others.

huuregeil

I went through exactly this same loop recently and share your frustrations! You can drop silly money (£300+) and get a Look, Time, or something like that. Enve forks get good rep and are due to land in this country sometime this month (according to the distributer) - price tbd. Otherwise, the two forks getting decent rep that are widely available and sub £200 are the Deda Black Fin and Columbus Carve. Was going to go for a black fin on the back of my LBS's recommendation, he rating it quite highly, but ended up picking up a new EC90SL off the bay for just over £100 - seemed stupid not to!

huuregeil

BTW Carbon forks aren't just carbon forks - having had two different forks on the same frame, there can be quite a difference in handling.

Mingsta

Thanks for the recommendations.

I thought I was going mad there, not being able to find any decent contenders. Glad I'm not the only one! I guess with most frames being carbon fibre these days, and coming as a frame and fork package, there's not so much demand for after market forks anymore.

I've got some 3T bars and they're ace, the Funda's look good, but would look a bit odd with the skinny round tubes of my seven, will check out some of the other suggestion though...thanks again guys!