i need help choosing the right forks for my carrera virtuoso

coman1985

Hi there i am new to cycling and am loving it i have a carrera virtuoso 2011 and i want to ride for a year or so and move over to a full carbon frame and start building my own bike.(i have no idea why but ide rather do it than buying one) anyway what i want to do is buy a few bits to add to this bike and then move them over to what i am going to build the 3 things i want to change are pedals wheels and tires coz there appauling and front forks. the problem i have is my front forks now are dead straight so i will buy a carbon fork which is dead straight so the wheel is in the same place but when i look they start talking about different things like intergrated 45mm od head and 43mm how do i know what i have and what are the key things i have to match up with so it works with my headset frame etc for example are crown rings different sizes and as long as the headset is for an 1"1/8 steerer and i buy an 1"1/8 fork will they work no matter or is there other factors to look out for??

MountainMonster

Some capitalization wouldn't hurt, just to make it more bearable to read.

But as far forks go, you need to match the steerer size to your frame, most likely 1.1/8.

coman1985

sorry to rabble but really appreciate the input.

i dint wanna spend money on forks and find that they wouldnt possibly fit..

i thought it would be all standard apart from the steerer but the more i read the more confusing it got with people talking about the fact that crown rings differ. New forks dont come with them fitted so i would take it off my old forks so would that fit ?

MountainMonster

As before, as long as the steerer tube is the same size, they will fit. I'm not sure if road bikes have tapered headtubes ever, but in the MTB world that adds another complication.

Also remember that if you buy forks now for your bike that you need to buy a frame with the same steerer size as your next one if you are planning to switch the forks over as well.

As far as the crown race, they are a part of the headset, so you will need to take off the current one from your forks, and put it on the new one.

coman1985

as for the forks on road bikes it seem some do and some dont the ones i was looking at said they were Tapered: 1”1/8 - 1” 1/2 asymmetric system.

I may avoid these and just find a set that arent to avoid confusion..

sorry to annoy you but what is a rack??

this is the only technical information they provide so am i reading to much into it?

Carbon and alloy forks from PZ Racing.

• Crown - 45mm for integrated headset
• Rack - 42mm
• Weight - 564g

EarlyGo

coman1985,

Be very careful here! Some forks have a tapered system which is not compatible with the straight 1 1/8". Also forks have different rake angles which affects how sensitive the steering is. You also need to decide if you want full carbon or carbon with alu steerer. Go to your LBS and ask their advice before you make a potentially expensive mistake!

The most cost effective upgrade would be lighter wheels and tyres. If you have £200 or more to spend on these then you'll really notice the difference in acceleration, climbing and rolling. Also they're dead easy to swap onto any new bike!

Regards, EarlyGo

thel33ter

If you buy a new carbon frame, it is very likely that it will come with forks. As EarlyGo said, spend the money on wheels, as they make a much greater difference.

coman1985

well if i will notice the difference more it would make alot more sence.

The only reason i was going to do the carbon forks was because every time i go out after about 20 miles the back of my neck kills me.

ive heard other people suffer the same problem due to the vibration maybe i should just give it a little while as i have only been riding a month now?

mattshrops

i had a 2009 virtuoso. normally i'd agree with the others on wheels instead.But I stripped mine down to do a bit of maintenance. the frame with no fork in is really light- the fork on its own weighed 1200g. I think it must be steel or maybe cast iron :shock: . anyhoo 1 cheapo chinese fork later- what a difference.
The fork is inch and one eighth, make sure steerer tube length is long enough(from memory i think you need the full 300mm. cost me about £35. (new) Strangely it is pretty much identical-shape size everything except weight. get on ebay ,always look for a good feedback score.
When you get your new frame get it with a fork and this one becomes your winter bike.boombadabing

MountainMonster

coman1985 wrote:

well if i will notice the difference more it would make alot more sence.

The only reason i was going to do the carbon forks was because every time i go out after about 20 miles the back of my neck kills me.

ive heard other people suffer the same problem due to the vibration maybe i should just give it a little while as i have only been riding a month now?

The carbon forks will not fix that, that is a problem with your position on your bike, most likely too low of a position for the stem, and too short of a stem. If you have any spacers above the top of your stem, move them under the stem and see if that helps, if not, try a 10 or 20mm shorter stem, and that should sort it!

coman1985

thanks guys 1st time ive used a forum before and cant believe how helpful you have been.

think im going to buy the cheap forks off ebay so i can get cheap set and not worry if i dont like them and do the wheels as i know i can re use them and if i like the forks i can try the shorter stem onmy old ones..

and the forks are chromoly hence they are heavy but i still enjoy riding it....

coman1985

mattshrops wrote:

i had a 2009 virtuoso. normally i'd agree with the others on wheels instead.But I stripped mine down to do a bit of maintenance. the frame with no fork in is really light- the fork on its own weighed 1200g. I think it must be steel or maybe cast iron :shock: . anyhoo 1 cheapo chinese fork later- what a difference.
The fork is inch and one eighth, make sure steerer tube length is long enough(from memory i think you need the full 300mm. cost me about £35. (new) Strangely it is pretty much identical-shape size everything except weight. get on ebay ,always look for a good feedback score.
When you get your new frame get it with a fork and this one becomes your winter bike.boombadabing

do you know what the crown size was or doesnt this matter?

some forks are saying 50mm some are saying 45 etc i think i may have asked this before...

mattshrops

it doesnt matter. 1 1/8" steerer tube -300mm long, thats all you need.

mattshrops

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hylix-Road-Bike-Carbon-Fork-510g-only-1-1-8-/270795818982?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f0cb047e6

any good??(should save you about 700g)

coman1985

thats superb i found a set for 28 poind plus 20 pound shipping im going to run them over the winter as im going to start after xmas with a carbon frame and that ready for the summer..

so even if they only last a few hundred miles as i am sceptical of a cheap set of carbons i can put the old forks back on and definatly going to look into some new wheels have i got to worry about compatability with rear cassets to much?

coman1985

thanks matt shrops i didnt see your post and reviewed the link and just ordered a set i will keep you updated when they arrive

rolf_f

coman1985 wrote:

so even if they only last a few hundred miles as i am sceptical of a cheap set of carbons i can put the old forks back on and definatly going to look into some new wheels have i got to worry about compatability with rear cassets to much?

Why would you buy forks that you don't think will last more than a few hundred miles? They are the part of the bike you least want to break on you given the consequences in terms of face and brain getting smashed to pieces. A few hundred miles - that would keep me going for a couple of weeks!

Still, why would you expect them to only last a few hundred miles?

coman1985

i have no proof that they will last a few hundred miles and i have only been cycling a month and i started on

15 miles the first week
24 miles 2nd
46 miles 3rd
and done 72 this week i did 2 rides this week

i just abit sceptical of a £38 pound pair of carbon forks, but i just want to see the if there is any difference for myself.

although these forks may last all year just people say carbon fails but im sceptical of that to. agreed no smoke without fire but if it was that bad surely no one would ride it. surely its like a helmet if you drop it or crash it yes then its had it but if you look after it everything should be ok ??

EarlyGo

coman,

Re your question about cassette compatibility, just make sure you get shimano rear hub not campagnolo. All new wheels are advertised with this information so it'll be simple!

Not sure if a new set of forks will cure your neck problem but your existing forks are outrageously heavy! As you said if you treat carbon forks with respect there's nothing to worry about ... but a more normal price for carbon forks (Easton for example) would be £80 upwards. So be sure you know what you're getting if you buy £28 carbon forks!

If you want to reduce vibration have you considered new handlebar tape with gel pads underneath or double wrapped bar tape? Or buy a good set of mitts or gloves with nice pads.

Regards, EarlyGo

coman1985

i have just tried a set of padded fingerless gloves and just did 20 miles tonight after work and i didnt feel anything.

So hopefully problem solved thanks for all the input and just going to start looking at some wheels.

I can see how people get into cycling get far more satisfaction than running..

due to more distance covered and not so hard on the body

HebdenBiker

Glad you're enjoying your cycling, mate. My first bike was a Carrera Virtuoso too. I had neck pain as well (the bike was slightly too small for me) and flipping the stem over cured this.

As for the alu forks, yeah I know they're not the best, but I've just done a 3-day mountainous tour in Australia on a cheap road bike with alu forks (see my blog if you're interested). Basically I bought a cheap bike off Aussie Ebay to use whilst on holiday in Oz. The bike, including the forks, was absolutely fine, and it was the sh!tty tyres, not the forks, that I would have changed given the chance.

If you are desperate to throw some money at your bike, then wheels and tyres would be the obvious upgrade. But a wheel upgrade will be expensive. Personally I would change nothing for now (except maybe the tyres) and just enjoy your riding.

In the coming months you will learn more about bikes and about your needs as a cyclist, and will be able to make more informed decisions about what equipment you need. An awful lot of people, like us, buy a cheap bike from Halfords, get bitten by the cycling bug, then go on to buy a whole new, better bike within a year. If this is you, then save your money for that.