Carbon Forks

TRbike
TRbike Posts: 27
edited May 2011 in Road beginners
Last week I crashed into a stone wall, so im aware that i'll have to replace my carbon forks.

Is it possible to buy the same carbon forks that were on the bike when it was bought new or will I have to buy I differen't set and just try and find some that matches the bikes colour/design?

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Depends on the make / brand of bike? Most forks are of a standard size and you'll find plenty of aftermarket ones are suitable replacements.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Kona21
    Kona21 Posts: 107
    Contact your local dealer and they should be able to get the original forks in
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  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    How hard did you crash and have you done a visual inspection? I guess for peace of mind you'll want to replace them but it not necessarily required. I over-shot a corner and hit a wall pretty hard myself a couple of years ago, even bent the brake calipers under the fork but still using them now, although admittedly the odd creak coming from the front end makes me nervous from time to time :p
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    nferrar wrote:
    How hard did you crash and have you done a visual inspection? I guess for peace of mind you'll want to replace them but it not necessarily required. I over-shot a corner and hit a wall pretty hard myself a couple of years ago, even bent the brake calipers under the fork but still using them now, although admittedly the odd creak coming from the front end makes me nervous from time to time :p

    Personally, the thought of my forks giving way on a 45mph descent would terrify enough such that £100 for a replacement set would be VFM on peace of mind alone.

    I agree with a combination of all the posts as in chat to LBS to see about the availability/price of an OEM fork and then compare to aftermarket options. Your LBS should also be able to give you a second opinion on the terminality of your current forks (although bear in mind there will no science involved just someone's subjective view).
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Personally, the thought of my forks giving way on a 45mph descent would terrify enough such that £100 for a replacement set would be VFM on peace of mind alone.

    Having followed a cyclist whose carbon forks disintegrated at 15mph (he ended up in A&E), I wouldn't take the risk either.
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • lucasf09
    lucasf09 Posts: 160
    I wouldn't risk it, look on ebay at "cheap chinese" ones if you are worried about price, they normally let you send them a design/colour scheme so you get it quite close to original.
    The other option is x-raying the forks, but the cost of the analysis might be more than the forks!!!! so might end up paying for effectively two forks but only get one.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    As stated, getting the forks non-destructively tested to determine their integrity will probably cost more that a replacement - to be done properly you need ultrasound or X-ray, not the quick vsual your LBS will employ. To counter the fears of a Just Riding Along (JRA) collapse, I'm still using a pair of forks that were involved in a 'full roll' end-over-end crash
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Secteur
    Secteur Posts: 1,971
    crikey - shows how niave I am - I thought my carbon forks would be indestructable - being carbon fibre - hadn't considered that they would need replacing after a (significant) bump??!
  • Hierotochan
    Hierotochan Posts: 108
    It's to do with the way the carbon is woven, to be strong in one direction but flexible/forgiving in another (i.e. carbon rear seat-stays providing a softer ride, but being more torsionally rigid than steel).

    In snowboards they arrange the layers in such an order so that the carbon 'pulls' the board back in to shape providing 'pop' (making you jump higher).
    Where is dose this well in the lower layers, when used on the top it fractures & splits easily.
    It works well under stretching but becomes weak when compressed.
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