Carbon fork interchangeabilty

Bordersroadie

I've trawled previous threads and can't seem to get a definitive answer, so I'm hoping someone may be able to help. . .

I have a Cube bike which has an alu frame with a (heavyish) carbon fork/alloy steerer. I'm thinking in the near future of upgrading (ie lightening) the bike with a new lightweight all-carbon fork such as the Richie sub-300g type.

The current bike has a semi-integrated headset and a tapered headtube. I understand about geometry and trying to get a similar offset (45mm) as my current fork to keep the handling the same, but I have a spefic query.

Questions are:

1. Will any decent fork be able to fit into my current headtube using the existing headset or do I need to look for a specific type of fork? Basically I don't want to buy a £250 fork and find that it will not fit my current bike.

2. One day in the future I will possibly buy a good quality carbon frame. If I've invested in a decent carbon fork I'll want to swap it onto the new frame, assuming it comes without fork. The same question as above, is every 1 and 1/8" fork essentially standard and so can I be sure the new fork will fit into the new frame, regardless of whether or not the head tube is tapered or whether or not the headset is the semi-integrated type?

Thanks for any advice.

Monty Dog

Most forks are interchangeable and sticking to the 45mm offset will preserve your bike's handling. If looking to upgrade your frame in the future, you may want to leave an extra spacer in case of headtube length variations. Most forks these days are designed for integrated headtubes ie have a flared fork crown.

itsnotarace

Bordersroadie wrote:

The current bike has a semi-integrated headset and a tapered headtube. I understand about geometry and trying to get a similar offset (45mm) as my current fork to keep the handling the same, but I have a spefic query.

When you say your current bike has a tapered headtube, you need to be certain as this will determine the type of fork you buy. In this sense, tapered means that the diameter of the tubing changes along the length of the head tube itself, and along the steerer tube of the fork.

For example Canyon are now supplying bikes that start at 1,1/8ths at the top and 1,1/4 at the bottom so you would need to get a fork to suit and there aren't that many out there to buy in comparison to forks with a constant diameter steerer - for example 1, 1/8ths all the way along.

You may also see 1,1/8ths written as 1.125", and 1,1/4 written as 1.250"

Bordersroadie wrote:

1. Will any decent fork be able to fit into my current headtube using the existing headset or do I need to look for a specific type of fork? Basically I don't want to buy a £250 fork and find that it will not fit my current bike.

As above, check your current bike spec by googling the exact model / year of manufacture and finding the specifications. Ask if you're not sure

Bordersroadie wrote:

2. One day in the future I will possibly buy a good quality carbon frame. If I've invested in a decent carbon fork I'll want to swap it onto the new frame, assuming it comes without fork. The same question as above, is every 1 and 1/8" fork essentially standard and so can I be sure the new fork will fit into the new frame, regardless of whether or not the head tube is tapered or whether or not the headset is the semi-integrated type?

Thanks for any advice.

Also bear in mind that frames are designed around axle to crown length as well as rake, if you choose a fork with a long axle to crown, this can have the effect of turning the bike into a lazy handling machine, as you increase wheelbase and jack up the front end like American Chopper forks. If you choose one with a short axle to crown, this will shorten the wheelbase and lower the front end, leading to sharper handling but if you go too far then you can end up with a very nervous and twitchy bike. I would say buy the forks you want now, and don't worry about what frame you may get in the future, you can always sell off your current forks and buy another pair - most framesets are supplied with forks anyway

HTH

Bordersroadie

itsnotarace,

Thanks for taking the time to give me all that great detailed advice, it's very much appreciated.

The fork seems to be a one-off Deda product made specifically for Cube as there is no separate trace of it on the Deda website or anywhere else, and the spec info on it is sketchy to say the least.

I think to be safe, when I come to upgrade, I'll take the current fork off and measure everything up, just to be absolutely sure.

Montydog, thanks for your advice too!

itsnotarace

What Cube model is it and what year was it made

Bordersroadie

itsnotarace wrote:

What Cube model is it and what year was it made

Streamer 2011.