Steel and Carbon Why?

nwallace
nwallace Posts: 1,465
edited August 2011 in The bottom bracket
Been looking at steel framed bikes recently.

I love my Reynolds 631 framed 26" Tourer.
And wouldn't mind a Reynolds 520 (or 531) bike, probably Flip-Flop since that's a type of bike I don't have.

But they all seem to have Carbon Forks.
Why? Why? Why?

I want lovely steel forks to go with my lovely steel frame :-(

Oh and a proper retro paint job, you know one colour with a white band containing the brand name, with brown leather bar tap and saddle, so probably needs to be a British Racing green painted frame. Hm, and maybe some gold piping...
Although I do like celeste blue.

Might keep the dark green for the 631, it's already a dark green anyway.

Anyone got any suggestions?
Do Nellyphants count?

Commuter: FCN 9
Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
Off Road: FCN 11

+1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days

Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Budget?
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    What's one of them?
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    hm, I started this as a "Why woudl you do that" and I've ended up asking for bike suggestions. eek.
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • BMX Bear
    BMX Bear Posts: 198
    Try these guys....

    just what you need (want) !

    http://www.donhoubicycles.com/

    The red and white single speed cross frame is my mates, really nice frame & fork...
    www.icenivelo.co.uk - Norfolks most inclusive cycling club
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    I'm 3 months into a 13 month waiting list for my frame from this guy.
    Pretty sure it will be worth it though

    http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/Neil's%20953%20Gallery/index.HTML
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    Love the look of Alan's fast tourer.
    Very similar detail to my 631 frame...

    donhoubicycles

    Most of them are amazing but...

    Odin_1.jpg

    :(
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    APIII wrote:
    I'm 3 months into a 13 month waiting list for my frame from this guy.
    Pretty sure it will be worth it though

    http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/Neil's%20953%20Gallery/index.HTML

    Drooooooool
    13 months though :(



    Edit: Oh wow 953 looks brilliant.
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    nwallace wrote:
    APIII wrote:
    I'm 3 months into a 13 month waiting list for my frame from this guy.
    Pretty sure it will be worth it though

    http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/Neil's%20953%20Gallery/index.HTML

    Drooooooool
    13 months though :(



    Edit: Oh wow 953 looks brilliant.

    Happily it coincides with my 40th and give me plenty of time to break the news to my wife! :wink:
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    nwallace wrote:
    Most of them are amazing but...

    But what?
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • Vegeeta
    Vegeeta Posts: 6,411
    www.enigmabikes.co.uk

    They can make you one.
    Rule 64:

    Cornering confidence generally increases with time and experience. This pattern continues until it falls sharply and suddenly.

    http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    nwallace wrote:
    Most of them are amazing but...

    But what?

    Look at the picture, the steel frames amazing but the carbon forks just look wrong!
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Simple answer to your original question...........

    As the forks are varying diameters down the length, they are the hardest part of the frame to manufacture in steel. An off the shelf carbon fork keeps costs down.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • anto164
    anto164 Posts: 3,500
    New steel frames with steel forks end up looking like this..

    14_s1-complete5.jpg
  • ynyswen24
    ynyswen24 Posts: 703
    new steel frames with steel forks can end up looking like this

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-531/6 ... 7443239362


    one day I'll figure out how to post a picture rather than a link...
  • nwallace
    nwallace Posts: 1,465
    daviesee wrote:
    Simple answer to your original question...........

    As the forks are varying diameters down the length, they are the hardest part of the frame to manufacture in steel. An off the shelf carbon fork keeps costs down.

    Hm, so why then were Aluminium frames sold with steel forks for years at the lower end of the market?

    Why try and cut costs on a steel framed bike though? If you're buying steel your probably buying steel for a reason these days.
    1) Nice ride, won't Alu or Carbon forks spoil that by being too harsh?

    2) Fixability, carbon pulverises on contact, and unless gordon murray was conveniently passing with the McLaren fab folded into his back pocket, you're screwed.
    At least with Aluminium someone with a TIG welder and coneveniently has a pile of banned Argon fire extinguishers kicking around has a chance of trying to fix it.

    3) Like the look of steel, carbon looks out of place
    The steel forks stand out as steel forks and aesthetically fit with the rest of the steel frame.
    Both pictures posted show this.
    The one I posted shows a lovely rounded old looking steel frame, with ultra modern looking front forks, just wrong, round section steel/oval needs round/oval section forks.
    Do Nellyphants count?

    Commuter: FCN 9
    Cheapo Roadie: FCN 5
    Off Road: FCN 11

    +1 when I don't get round to shaving for x days
  • ynyswen24
    ynyswen24 Posts: 703
    although it is easier and cheaper to fit off the shelf carbon forks even with a custom built frame, especially when a standard fork with about 45mm of rake, will work fine with standard road geometry, there is the fact that a lot of people expect to get carbon forks these days. Maybe weight saving has something to do with it.

    I agree that a good looking steel frame needs matching forks, even the argument that the ubiquity of oversize threadless headsets makes the choice of carbon a no brainer due to the availabilty of 1" quill stems doesn't hold true now that Cinelli are re-introducing a range of old designs. I went with oversize threadless steel forks simply down to the fact that I wanted to be able to maintain the headset with one allen key rather than 2 spanners and an allen key and possible extra spanner..
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Cheap steel forks can be made by forming and welding but these will likely be made from cheaper material and be heavy. Quality steel forks are more expensive to make -
    "4 The tubes may be shaped and tapered into a variety of designs and lengths. The taper-gauge fork blades may have to pass through more than a dozen operations to achieve the correct strength, weight, and resilience."
    From here -
    http://www.enotes.com/how-products-ency ... /bicycle-2

    For balance, when I was ordering my Master I had to pay a premium to get the Pista steel forks over the carbon version but it just HAD to be done :wink:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.

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