Originally Posted by
sstorkel
I have a carbon cyclocross fork on my touring bike. Seems to ride a bit smoother than the aluminum fork it replaced, plus it can mount a disc brake. I don't use a front rack, though.
I agree, those are good reasons to switch. I'm sure that they could make aluminum forks that don't handle like crap when loaded, I just haven't experienced one.
Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
Millions of cyclists use carbon forks; they don't spontaneously explode on descents. They're perfectly safe, again as long as you don't attach a pair of p-clamps and over-torque them.
I actually had my mind changed about p-clamps and carbon forks this past week. P-clamps should be fine on carbon forks, provided that the p-clamps are used to support the top of the rack and you have something more substantial to support the bottom (like an eyelet or a QR adapter). Most of the weight on the rack is going through the bottom support anyway. There's no particular reason to over-torque a p-clamp (and I think that, with most p-clamps, the p-clamp will break before the fork will). Naturally, it's better to get a fork with a lot of stuff to it (like a cyclocross fork).