Carbon Fork Upgrade worth it ?

mr_eddy

Hi All

I have a BTwin Triban 500 - Which is about as cheap as you can go for a proper road bike. Its been fantastic so far however I have started to upgrade it here and there - Not silly money upgrades as that would defeat the whole point.

So far I have got some 2nd hand low mileage Shimano RS21 wheels shod with some Rubino Pro tyres that I picked up for £90 (Btwin wheels will be for spare / winter) and also a ti rail Charge Spoon saddle from my spares bin.

I have seen advertised a Tusk Carbon fork for just £45 again with very little use - It is about 300g lighter than the steel bladed fork the bike came with my question is would this make a noticeable difference, I doubt I will notice the 300g weight saving given that I am 85kg myself but does the carbon really improve comfort that much over steel ?

At the moment the bike is pretty comfy for me and the double wrap bar tape helps so I am not sure if it would be worthwhile going for a carbon fork ?

Thoughts ?

drlodge

300g weight saving for a fork is quite a lot, I would guess it will provide a more cushioned feel since the material used will be lighter/thinner. For £45 might be worth a punt

mr_eddy

Ok thanks might give it a go then

fenix

TBH I'd spend the cash on some gp 4000S

drlodge

Fenix wrote:

TBH I'd spend the cash on some gp 4000S

Or Michelin Pro4 Service Course...for that money you can get a nice set of tyres that will definately make a difference. Good point.

Bobbinogs

That bike's gonna end up like Trigger's broom soon :-)

ugo.santalucia

Can you fit the crown yourself? LBS charged me 12 pounds for that alone. Also, make sure the steerer is compatible with your current and the fork rake and blade length are similar to the current. Then you will need a "bung" insert for the fork, probably another 10 pounds or so.

But yes, totally worth it

dennisn

FWIW I've had neck surgery and can't turn my head around as much as I'd like to while cycling. So, I bought a mirror that fits into to drop end of a handlebar. Problem was that it vibrated so much(alloy bars) that it was almost useless. A few years later I bought a carbon bar on a whim and found that the vibration in the mirror was all but gone. This year(on a whim) I mounted a carbon fork. The mirror seems even more stable than ever. I'm of the opinion that this is a good thing. The bike is a steel Gios Compact Pro.

webboo

dennisn wrote:

FWIW I've had neck surgery and can't turn my head around as much as I'd like to while cycling. So, I bought a mirror that fits into to drop end of a handlebar. Problem was that it vibrated so much(alloy bars) that it was almost useless. A few years later I bought a carbon bar on a whim and found that the vibration in the mirror was all but gone. This year(on a whim) I mounted a carbon fork. The mirror seems even more stable than ever. I'm of the opinion that this is a good thing. The bike is a steel Gios Compact Pro.

I would suspect that with all that metal you have in your hip and possibly else where, you might be best having as much carbon in your bike as possible. There just might be someone at the side of the road with a magnet.

mroli

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Can you fit the crown yourself? LBS charged me 12 pounds for that alone.

Hang on. You can't fit a crown race?! I feel less inferior now :twisted: