Originally Posted by
B2mac
Just curious if people think a carbon front fork is worth the cost?.....I have a Trek FX-2 and ride for fun and fitness about 25 miles per ride.
Based on your question and statement in your post, I would say spend your money elsewhere. For fitness and fun, a carbon fork is not going to gain you much, if anything, over the stock steel fork.
It seems that there are two main reasons people think carbon forks are better: weight reduction & ride quality.
The weight you will save on your bike by switching to a carbon fork is going to be very minimal. The reduction will be a pound at best and when you factor in the weight of the rider, accessories, etc., a pound is nothing. The total package can fluctuate more than that if you use the bathroom before a ride...seriously. If you were a racer and were worried about fractions of a minute over 100 mile race using 100% of your energy, then a one pound difference could make a difference. However, for recreational and fitness riding, that difference in weight isn't going to get you off the trail faster or to the next stop light that much quicker...if at all.
The other thing I hear about carbon forks is the exponential improvement in ride quality. I don't think it's quite there. A lot of the "better" ride quality is a placebo effect. Can carbon soak up and deaden some harmonic road vibration at a certain speed...sure it can. Can your hands feel that difference between it and a steel fork...probably not. The differences could be measured in a lab....but when was the last time you went for a fitness or recreational bike ride in a lab? A steel fork will smooth out most rough surfaces just fine and be more than adequate for a recreational fitness rider.
One thing to consider before buying a carbon fork is tires. Both for weight reduction and comfort. Weigh your stock tires and shop for ones that weigh less. Moving down a size in mm could easily save some weight without changing the ride. Also, experiment with air pressure. Reducing the air pressure to the lowest recommended pressure could easily improve the ride quality without hindering your speed at all.
Sorry if I sound harsh or bitter towards carbon forks. I just think for the money, there are other cycling related items that could be purchased that would provide a greater overall benefit.