Anyone have/use any? Good or bad experiences? I'm looking to use a cool looking or road bike like fork on a future build and wanted some input. I don't want MTB style. Something sleek and with a little rake if possible. Thoughts??
Aluminum front forks
- Thread starter Chips_Mahoy
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Ive read some comments regarding alum forks and handlebars and stems on the 'road bike forum(s)' that made me inclined to want to stick to steel.
The problem is that if/when the front end fails its a face plant, and Im not all that good looking to start with.........
The problem is that if/when the front end fails its a face plant, and Im not all that good looking to start with.........
I read a lot of similar things. As expected, there's always good and bad with everything. My use for it would be strictly hard surface cruising. This particular bike has an aluminum frame that I'll polish to a shine, so I'd like to keep that look going for the fork too.
I love the polished aircraft/racer look too.
Could be the failures have been on hard ridden mtn and road bikes that have really been stressed out? I have a couple of alum stems, I admit, and I dont do the roadracer lean, way more upright so the weight isnt hard onto it. BTW, of late Ive been keeping a barset in a stem, makes it easier to swap bars bike to bike (same with not having controls on the bars).
Could be the failures have been on hard ridden mtn and road bikes that have really been stressed out? I have a couple of alum stems, I admit, and I dont do the roadracer lean, way more upright so the weight isnt hard onto it. BTW, of late Ive been keeping a barset in a stem, makes it easier to swap bars bike to bike (same with not having controls on the bars).
I would venture to say you're probably right about the stress put on aluminum MTB forks could be a major factor in a failure. I want to sit upright and be comfortable. Having polished forks to match the frame only makes sense in my mind. Painted steel wouldn't look right. I wish I knew what older roadie bikes came with an aluminum fork so I can keep a lookout for some.......
FWIW, Ive seen some steel parts well prepped and painted with that 'chrome paint' from Walmart that does really look more like polished alum. than chrome, just be sure to do very fine sanding between coats to get it really smooth and then clearcoat. It might make it passable until you find the fork of your dreams.
I've seen that too. The problem is that requires one major component of building bikes that I seem to be lacking in............talent...
Talent can be 'nature or nurture', its just easier to do the job if you start with natural talent, the skills are still learned and honed each time .
Plenty of 'tutorials' online and here, and hey, its just spray paint! You could do it as simply as washing the parts with Dawn dishsoap & water, good rinse & dry, wipe down with common Rubbing Alcohol a couple of times and let air dry well, then spray according to the directions in a warm STILL AIR place (not in the house, dont ask how I KNOW.....). YOU CAN GET MORE COMPLICATED BUT NOT ANY CHEAPER
.Plenty of 'tutorials' online and here, and hey, its just spray paint! You could do it as simply as washing the parts with Dawn dishsoap & water, good rinse & dry, wipe down with common Rubbing Alcohol a couple of times and let air dry well, then spray according to the directions in a warm STILL AIR place (not in the house, dont ask how I KNOW.....). YOU CAN GET MORE COMPLICATED BUT NOT ANY CHEAPER
I have a 1995 Trek 2300 road bike, the older 3-main tube carbon version, that has a polished aluminum fork and polished stays. Looks very nice. The bike rides rather stiff.
I have a snap story. I was riding the Trek on ragbrai one day with a speedy couple on a 'bent tandem. They would bomb down the hills, it was all I could do to hang in their draft in my biggest gear. Like most tandems and all recumbents, they would slow way down on the up hills. It was like doing interval training at high speed. 50mph, 10 mph, 50, 10 ,etc. Anyhow at the bottom of one hill we crossed a bridge with a raised joint. SNAP! We were going so fast everyone looked at my bike for the source of the noise. Yeah, I was quite nervous about it being on a carbon frame with an aluminum fork. I slowly coasted to a stop, inspected the bike. Rode slow to the next town where I could borrow some tools to pull the fork to check the steerer tube. Nothing. I rode slow the rest of the day. When I got in that night the tandem riders were telling me it was their bike. Snaped an aluminum seat support bracket. They thought it was my bike until they spoted the break later that day. Whew.
I have a snap story. I was riding the Trek on ragbrai one day with a speedy couple on a 'bent tandem. They would bomb down the hills, it was all I could do to hang in their draft in my biggest gear. Like most tandems and all recumbents, they would slow way down on the up hills. It was like doing interval training at high speed. 50mph, 10 mph, 50, 10 ,etc. Anyhow at the bottom of one hill we crossed a bridge with a raised joint. SNAP! We were going so fast everyone looked at my bike for the source of the noise. Yeah, I was quite nervous about it being on a carbon frame with an aluminum fork. I slowly coasted to a stop, inspected the bike. Rode slow to the next town where I could borrow some tools to pull the fork to check the steerer tube. Nothing. I rode slow the rest of the day. When I got in that night the tandem riders were telling me it was their bike. Snaped an aluminum seat support bracket. They thought it was my bike until they spoted the break later that day. Whew.
I did this bike last summer. Aluminum main frame, steel rear arms, steel fork. I bought "Aluminum" color paint for the steel parts. FYI, the paint is VERY runny so it takes lots of patience to apply.
more photos slide show:
http://s144.photobucket.com/user/rickpaulos/slideshow/SOLD Vertical PK7 single speed conversion
more photos slide show:
http://s144.photobucket.com/user/rickpaulos/slideshow/SOLD Vertical PK7 single speed conversion
The Vertical PK7 aluminum was clear coated to start with. I ground off the cable guides and that left those dark squares on the side of the frame. I tried some polish on those that didn't do much. Lastly, I did spray a clear over everything so I wouldn't have to keep polishing. Sold the bike this fall. It was just too short for me, you know, the 1 size fits all at the box marts. If you are all 5'4" tall.
Since the aluminum paint is so runny, try laying the fork flat and just do the top sides. I have one of those Workmate stands so I can clamp the steerer tube and hold the fork level out the side. A bike repair stand with a clamp works well too. When the fork is vertical, the paint wants to run a lot. It's less work to go slow than to sand off the runs and start over, and over.
I've done quite a few bikes now and I've learned that the color of the spray paints really affects how easy or hard it is to use. Aluminum is about the runniest I've found.
Since the aluminum paint is so runny, try laying the fork flat and just do the top sides. I have one of those Workmate stands so I can clamp the steerer tube and hold the fork level out the side. A bike repair stand with a clamp works well too. When the fork is vertical, the paint wants to run a lot. It's less work to go slow than to sand off the runs and start over, and over.
I've done quite a few bikes now and I've learned that the color of the spray paints really affects how easy or hard it is to use. Aluminum is about the runniest I've found.
I have a couple aluminum MTBs w/ forks but they all have either the brake mounting bracket or a real beefy look to them. I'd like to find/use something sleek looking. That's the reason for wanting a road bike type of fork or something along that line.
Road bike fork may not fit a 26" balloon tire. But if you want here is one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GOOD-LAMBER...908?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item4accaf4ac4
Some to the Lamberts had a fork so called the Death Fork.
http://viscount-lambert-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/03/about-those-lambert-viscount-death.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GOOD-LAMBER...908?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item4accaf4ac4
Some to the Lamberts had a fork so called the Death Fork.
http://viscount-lambert-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/03/about-those-lambert-viscount-death.html
