Cyclocross - Nyc Bike Cyclocross fork: Junk?

I'm trying to put together a fixed gear commuter starting from a cheap road frame I picked up and I saw this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180184867732&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

It's cheap, it has 45mm rake which closely matches the intended fork for the frame, and I like that it is unpainted. I was wondering if this fork is complete trash, or if it is usable. The twenty dollar prices makes me question it's quality. And should the fork length of this cyclocross fork be comparable to most standard road forks? I asked NYC bikes for the fork length and weight, but I rarely see fork length listed, so I doubt that they will answer that question.

Also, since it has mounts for a cantilever brake, what are the pros/cons of using one over a caliper brake? I know that they are widely used in touring, cross, and MB but I don't see many road bikes with them.

(Sorry if this is in the wrong section. It's very confusing trying to choose where in the forums this should go, since I'm asking about a cyclocross fork that is going to be put on a road frame, that will be converted to a fixed gear, that I will mainly use for commuting.)

i've personally had two exceptionally bad experiences with nycbikes. but they involved the attitude of their owner, not the quality of their products. the fork is probably fine, just understand that if something goes wrong with the order you may be in for more than twenty bucks worth of hassle.

canti brakes are generally chosen by the cross crowd because they allow you to run wider tires and don't get clogged with mud as easily. they're also more powerful than caliper brakes because they have a greater mechanical advantage. (http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html)

it's (more or less) agreed upon that caliper brakes will give better modulation of braking, meaning the brakes are less "grabby" and you can easily scrub one or two miles an hour off your speed, whereas cantis might not give you that fine tuning ability as much. still, lots of people, myself included, ride their cross bikes as road bikes and find modern cantilever brakes more than suitable for the application.

well, at least you're not falling for the, "real fixies don't have brakes," ideology.
it looks solid, but the picture doesn't show much. if you've the chance get a good look at it before you buy, the welding should be smoove (yes with a "ve").
you could get a surly fork for only a little more and a rattlecan paintjob goes just as well over powder coat as bare metal.

i've personally had two exceptionally bad experiences with nycbikes. but they involved the attitude of their owner, not the quality of their products. the fork is probably fine, just understand that if something goes wrong with the order you may be in for more than twenty bucks worth of hassle.

canti brakes are generally chosen by the cross crowd because they allow you to run wider tires and don't get clogged with mud as easily. they're also more powerful than caliper brakes because they have a greater mechanical advantage. (http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html)

it's (more or less) agreed upon that caliper brakes will give better modulation of braking, meaning the brakes are less "grabby" and you can easily scrub one or two miles an hour off your speed, whereas cantis might not give you that fine tuning ability as much. still, lots of people, myself included, ride their cross bikes as road bikes and find modern cantilever brakes more than suitable for the application.


I've likewise had a bad experience with nycbikes on ebay wherein they didn't honor the auction won and never sent me the fork I won. After I reported them to Ebay, they gave me negative feedback.