Is a carbon fork the safest?

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork
-- one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all
say that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't
trust that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown
microscopic cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like
that. Is there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound
range, so, obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

So why are you getting a non-steel bicycle? I wouldn't consider
casting off my old custom made steel frame even though it has more
than 200,000 miles (10,000 per year) on it, albeit with a new fork
with threadless steer tube (the reason for the new fork).

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/

Jobst Brandt

In article
,
Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork
bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash
with injury. I'd stick to steel.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

Ecnerwal wrote:
In article
,
Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork
bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash
with injury. I'd stick to steel.


Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How
many have done that to you?

"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message
...
Ecnerwal wrote:
In article
,
Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon fork
bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive crash
with injury. I'd stick to steel.


Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How many
have done that to you?

Squirrel encounters happen.
I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I had
one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel and
seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away.

news.suddenlink.net wrote:

"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message
...
Ecnerwal wrote:
In article
,
Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon
fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive
crash with injury. I'd stick to steel.


Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How
many have done that to you?

Squirrel encounters happen.
I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I
had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel
and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away.


Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people
have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and
wedged into their fork?

Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer
hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear
end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike
rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door?

On Nov 20, 7:32*pm, Carl Sundquist wrote:
news.suddenlink.net wrote:

"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message
...
Ecnerwal wrote:
In article
,
*Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) *Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. *I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. *Is
there a "safer" option? *(All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon
fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive
crash with injury. I'd stick to steel.

Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How
many have done that to you?

Squirrel encounters happen.
I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. *Years later, I
had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel
and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away.

Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people
* * have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and
wedged into their fork?

Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer
hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear
end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike
rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door?

I got rear-ended with my GT Avalanche hanging off my trunk rack.
Remarkably, the frame was unscathed. I had its alignment checked, and
it was fine. Killed the crank (bent arms and chainrings), bent the BB
spindle, and deformed the rack.

I think if my '75 PX-10 had been on there, I'd have been reduced to
tears. As it was, I got a crank upgrade out of it.

Hank wrote:
On Nov 20, 7:32 pm, Carl Sundquist wrote:
news.suddenlink.net wrote:

"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message
...
Ecnerwal wrote:
In article
,
Paul Kossa wrote:
I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)
There were some delightful pictures linked to a few months back here,
when a squirrel suicided in the spokes of a front wheel on a carbon
fork bike, causing the fork to snap off both legs, causing a massive
crash with injury. I'd stick to steel.
Because _everyone_ has a squirrel run through their front wheel? How
many have done that to you?
Squirrel encounters happen.
I ran over a squirrel's tail, removing the tip of it. Years later, I
had one run into my rear wheel, bouncing off without damage to the wheel
and seemingly not much to the squirrel as it ran away.
Yes I know squirrels occasionally run toward wheels. But how many people
have actually had a squirrel get lodged in their front wheel and
wedged into their fork?

Periodically some guy posts here about how he will never use a trailer
hitch rack because he doesn't want to damage his bike in event of a rear
end collision. How often do you hear of a rear end collision with a bike
rack v. a bike on a roof rack getting smashed into a garage door?

I got rear-ended with my GT Avalanche hanging off my trunk rack.
Remarkably, the frame was unscathed. I had its alignment checked, and
it was fine. Killed the crank (bent arms and chainrings), bent the BB
spindle, and deformed the rack.

I think if my '75 PX-10 had been on there, I'd have been reduced to
tears. As it was, I got a crank upgrade out of it.

I didn't say it was unheard of. But in your opinion, which location,
bumper or roof, is more prone to have a bike damaged?

Paul Kossa wrote:

I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) *Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. *I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. *Is
there a "safer" option? *(All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

If weight is the most important issue to you, get a carbon fiber
fork.

If toughness and forgiving failure modes-- safety, basically-- are the
most important things to you, definitely you want steel.

Absolute strength? Ride quality? These things are a product of
design choices, rather than material.

If you are getting a custom Ti frame from a builder who also makes
steel frames, perhaps they could make you a custom steel fork to go
with your frame. It would then be an aesthetic match for your frame
and a structural match for your body weight and riding conditions.
The builder can use a heavier steer tube or more ductile steel than
normal if you so desire.

Some builders have offered Ti forks in the past, but their stiffness-
to-weight ratio is not impressive. Their cost is rather impressively
high, though. For some of the same reasons (limitations on steer tube
size imposing limitations on stiffness), it's a poor idea to use an
all-aluminum fork unless you are very lightweight or you prefer a soft
fork. Some carbon forks use aluminum steer tubes, which is a sort of
worst-of-both-worlds arrangement: The fork's stiffness is limited by
the aluminum steerer, and the exposed fork legs are made of scratch
and impact damage-prone plastic.

Chalo Colina

Hi,

Paul Kossa wrote:
I'm getting a custom ti bike build, which comes with a carbon fork --
one of "the lightest AND strongest available!" (Don't they all say
that?) Maybe its cause my bikes are steel, but I just don't trust
that carbon stuff. I keep hearing how unseen/unknown microscopic
cracks can lead to catastrophic failure, and stuff like that. Is
there a "safer" option? (All my bikes are in the 25-pound range, so,
obviously, I'm no weight freak!)

Make sure to test-ride a bike with carbon fork and one with
steel/alu/wood fork, whatever you want to compare - a few years back I
test-rode a friend's bike (which doesnt fit me) and recently another
bike with similar geometry (also doesnt fit me). The first had a carbon
fork and an aluminium frame while the second had an old-fashioned steel
frame. They sure do feel different! In my case I didnt like the
alu/carbon frame because it was built too light for me (though I'm not
heavy!). So, check it, ride both and choose which you like best!

Ciao...