Bicycle Mechanics - Wanna go threadless

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motorcade
05-17-09, 06:24 PM
I have a 1990 Trek 1400 road bike frame with the original bonded aluminum fork/threaded steerer. I'd like to switch out the fork for something carbon fiber and threadless. Does anyone know what the fork rake spec was on this frame, or more to the point, of an inexpensive fork that would worK (1 inch steerer)?
Thanks!
HillRider
05-17-09, 06:37 PM
I have a '92 1420 which has the same frame and fork as your bike. The Trek catalog gives the trail as 55mm and the head tube angle as 73.5° for all of the middle range of frame sizes (52 to 60 cm) and that calculates to a fork rake of 42 mm.
I replaced the factory fork on mine with a Kestrel EMS Pro threadless carbon fork with 43 mm of rake and there was absolutely no change in the handling I ever noticed. Forks with 43 mm of rake are very common.
motorcade
05-18-09, 09:20 AM
I have a '92 1420 which has the same frame and fork as your bike. The Trek catalog gives the trail as 55mm and the head tube angle as 73.5° for all of the middle range of frame sizes (52 to 60 cm) and that calculates to a fork rake of 42 mm.
I replaced the factory fork on mine with a Kestrel EMS Pro threadless carbon fork with 43 mm of rake and there was absolutely no change in the handling I ever noticed. Forks with 43 mm of rake are very common.
Thanks. That's very helpful. I'll likely go with a Ritchey Comp Road Fork (45mm of rake on the 1" model).
HillRider
05-18-09, 11:17 AM
A 45 mm rake fork will probably make the bike a little more "responsive", i.e. a bit more eager to turn and a bit less straight-line stable but, again, the change should be fairly small.
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