36
votes
Accepted
Why did curved forks disappear?
The main reason is the materials used.
Basically, on all bikes with bent forks the bent forks are made of steel. Steel has been mostly replaced by carbon and aluminium.
While steel is heavier, it is ...
- 2,251
32
votes
Why is the steering so twitchy? Steel 90's MTB fork
Short answer - your fork is stuffed. Stop riding it.
Longer answer - Here's your bike with the main lines drawn on top
And compare that with this approximate equivalent Peugeot bike. Spot the ...
- 120k
30
votes
Bike unstable (difficult to ride without hands on bars) after changing fork after collision
Bicycle dynamics
A bicycle may only be ridden because of the peculiar steering geometry. The centre of the contact patch of the tyre is behind the point where the steering axis intersects with the ...
- 9,474
22
votes
Accepted
Should amateurs install their own headsets?
The headset is a straightforward unit. Two cups are pushed into the frame with an interference fit and the crown race is smacked onto the top of the fork in a similar way.
In the past, when I have had ...
- 13.1k
21
votes
Accepted
Are there gadgets that will protect a fork sitting on the ground while the front wheel is removed?
What about using a bike fork mount designed for a truck bed or similar? These are pretty durable, not too large (could be portable for a commuter). They can be mounted to a small board or other flat ...
- 5,860
21
votes
Accepted
Is this bike fork misaligned?
Those forks are badly deformed. Interesting, I looked up the bikes and the first Google hit (https://www.bikeride.com/womens-kent-bayside-womens/) has the first reason not to buy
"Many users ...
- 47.8k
18
votes
Fork bent on a flat pack bike - what to do?
Your bike (27.5 Orkan 21 spd. MB) sells for less than US$150 and is shipped flat packed. This puts it firmly in what we call BSO or bicycle shaped object territory.
At US$150, it’s hard to find a ...
- 28.9k
17
votes
Accepted
What is this spring between the fork and the frame?
The purpose of such a steering damper is to stop the front wheel from turning when using a (two-leg) kickstand or while pushing the bike. Not much use otherwise.
- 2,922
17
votes
Accepted
How does fork offset affect bike handling?
Offset primarily affects your mechanical trail - that is, the distance between the imaginary straight line going through your head tube down to the ground, and your tire’s contact patch. Normally, the ...
- 15.4k
17
votes
Are there gadgets that will protect a fork sitting on the ground while the front wheel is removed?
Frame challenge: Why remove the wheel at all? Especially with disc brakes, this seems to be a major PITA to do on a daily basis.
Get a cable with loops on the end that threads through the front wheel ...
- 2,155
17
votes
heavy and want to ride again
Personally I wouldn't replace the fork, but I'd make smaller changes and start riding.
The back wheel takes more impact than the front, because a greater proportion of your weight is over it. So far ...
- 55.8k
16
votes
Can I safely drill a hole from the crown into the steerer in my carbon fork?
When carbon manufacturers and fabricators put holes in things, they're thinking about:
Whether disrupting the continuity of the carbon layers in that way will leave it strong enough.
Whether there ...
- 80.1k
15
votes
Can my fork support disc brakes?
In order to fit a disc brake, you need a compatible fork and a compatible wheel, plus a compatible brake lever.
Your fork does have a disc brake mounting already designed in, it is an International ...
- 12.7k
15
votes
Why did curved forks disappear?
Frames and forks were made of tubes that are brazed into lugs. Lugs are cast standard parts. Frames are sized by using tubes of the correct length. The respecive production processes makes lugs stiff ...
- 9,474
15
votes
Why did curved forks disappear?
A big part of the change from curved to straight forks is the engineering requirements for disc brakes.
Curved forks provide structural flexibility, in that forces applied to the tire become ...
- 1,515
15
votes
Are there gadgets that will protect a fork sitting on the ground while the front wheel is removed?
If you happen to have an old used-up hub of the correct width & diameter lying around,
you could rest the flanges on the ground, with the fork just slightly off the ground.
- 8,842
14
votes
Accepted
Why do bikes have carbon forks?
There are an intersection of a number of reasons:
Public Perception - Carbon as that "wow" factor. Colloquial it is associated with "space age" technologies. Therefore it must be better! The ...
- 30.4k
14
votes
Accepted
What are the benefits of *rigid* lefty fork?
One obvious advantage for most lefty bikes is
You’re able to change the tire and tube without taking the wheel off the bike. So wheel adjustments and repair can be made without interfering with the ...
- 28.9k
13
votes
Accepted
Are curved aluminum forks safe?
It depends on how the fork is engineered for safety. While its plausible that the curved shape does add to some shock absorption, that is determined by the width and construction of the fork tubing. ...
- 46k
13
votes
What to do with a bent but not broken aluminum seat stay
Aluminum alloy is weakened by being bent. The seat-stay is bowed in so that loads will tend to bend the stay more. The stay probably will not fail suddenly, but it will develop a crack where it's bent ...
- 75.3k
13
votes
Accepted
What to do with a bent but not broken aluminum seat stay
Safe - probably yes. Good idea - no.
As Argenti Apparatus stated, the bike should not fail without some warning, but it probably will fail sooner or later. As people noted in the comments - the ...
- 321
13
votes
Should I do anything about this minor nick in a carbon fork?
It is superficial, cosmetic paint damage. If that concerns you, you should replace the fork with a aluminum or titanium one. Reason for saying this is you need confidence in you bicycle to enjoy ...
- 47.8k
12
votes
Upside-down Fork vs Traditional Fork
The unsprung weight thing is a myth for the most part. Cast aluminum and magnesium lowers are extremely light, for example, old marzocchi 66 ones were only 3/4 of a pound, total weight. It's not as ...
- 121
11
votes
Accepted
Why do modern mountain bike forks no longer use boots on fork stanchions?
As technology goes, seal and wiper advance to the point that boots on fork stanchions becomes obsolete, for both economical and practical reasons.
The seal has advanced to the point that air ...
- 3,501
11
votes
Accepted
Crack in fork or just paint
On the surface it doesn't look good, but I wonder if there is a reinforcement wrap for the brake posts, with an unfinished edge). There are some informal ways to try and confirm whether the structural ...
- 30.4k
11
votes
Accepted
On fitting 700C rims to a dynamo hub rated for up to 20"
Generator hubs for small wheels will output less and produce less drag at a given speed when built to a 700, because they'll be operating at fewer RPMs than expected.
AFAIK all the non-sondelux ...
- 80.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Does this carbon fork have a crack in it that would make you replace it?
What is visible in the photo is a paint scratch. Letting the bike simply fall over will not structurally damage carbon fiber composite. People seem to think CFC is fragile but it’s really quite robust....
- 75.3k
11
votes
Accepted
How do I know where to cut the fork tube?
As others have mentioned, there's no standard. Basically, you figure out how many spacers you need and cut just below where the top of the spacer/stem stack. You need a small gap so that the top cap ...
- 11.7k
10
votes
Pros and cons of single-sided forks (Cannondale Lefty)?
My experience with Lefty goes back to 2000 when I purchased my Cannondale Super V. One thing I've liked about it how easy it is to 'turn off'. There's a small dial at the top that disengages the ...
- 201
10
votes
Crack in fork or just paint
I'm sorry to say that looks like a crack rather than a scratch.
Bike looks quite new (I notice the dual pivot calipers), but I believe Trek's lifetime warranty covers CF frames and forks beyond 5 ...
- 75.3k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible