Aluminum fork? Really?
#1
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Aluminum fork? Really?
How are alu forks a good idea? isn't the fork one of the most stressed areas of the bike? So with an alu-rigid fork, aren't you basically getting something that's pretty fragile and annoying to ride on?
#2
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I'm not crazy about the idea of riding on an aluminum fork but they aren't uncommon.
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....the current crop seems to work OK, but there were some issues getting there.
What scares me is when the steerer tube is some kinda lightweight stuff and the attachment there is a little dicey.
What scares me is when the steerer tube is some kinda lightweight stuff and the attachment there is a little dicey.
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I have a 1994 Cannondale Killer V900 hard-tail mountain bike that came with a beefy aluminum fork called the Pepperoni. I bent it when a drunken teenager plowed into me one July 4 on a beach trail. I was lucky to find another Pepperoni fork (exactly same color and steerer size) at an old Cannondale dealership.
The real interesting thing about the Pepperoni is that it is kinda overbuilt.
The real interesting thing about the Pepperoni is that it is kinda overbuilt.
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Things made from aluminum can be strong and robust. Most airplanes are largely made from aluminum and I wouldn't call a B-52 fragile.
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The way any mechanical item performs is a blend of material and design.
Get it right, and aluminum items will do just fine, get it wrong and you'll get in trouble - just as with any material.
The biggest advantage of steel forks is something like 100 years of trial and error design experience.
And while some of us were around when aluminium bicycle design was finding its feet, we've kinda lost track of all failed steel bicycle designs that flourished at the birth of the bicycle industry.
Get it right, and aluminum items will do just fine, get it wrong and you'll get in trouble - just as with any material.
The biggest advantage of steel forks is something like 100 years of trial and error design experience.
And while some of us were around when aluminium bicycle design was finding its feet, we've kinda lost track of all failed steel bicycle designs that flourished at the birth of the bicycle industry.
#7
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The way any mechanical item performs is a blend of material and design.
Get it right, and aluminum items will do just fine, get it wrong and you'll get in trouble - just as with any material.
The biggest advantage of steel forks is something like 100 years of trial and error design experience.
And while some of us were around when aluminium bicycle design was finding its feet, we've kinda lost track of all failed steel bicycle designs that flourished at the birth of the bicycle industry.
Get it right, and aluminum items will do just fine, get it wrong and you'll get in trouble - just as with any material.
The biggest advantage of steel forks is something like 100 years of trial and error design experience.
And while some of us were around when aluminium bicycle design was finding its feet, we've kinda lost track of all failed steel bicycle designs that flourished at the birth of the bicycle industry.
I have more miles on steel forks if dating back to when I was a child and much fewer, but still plenty of miles on CF forks. I never found the ride quality different simply because of an aluminum fork.
Brad
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I've got a 95 Cannondale Criterium with an aluminum fork (63CM) Still works great. As long as material is considered in the design, what's the problem?
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I have a '92 Trek 1420 that has the bonded aluminum frame and fork. I put about 20,000 miles on it and after well over 25,000 miles it's still in fine shape ridden routinely by my son. I wouldn't choose aluminum as an ideal fork material but, designed and built properly, it can be very durable.
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Like anything else, if they didn't work they wouldn't continue to make em. There are plenty of debates as to what material works better and what is more comfortable but they all work.
#12
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Aluminum forks have been around for close to 30 years. So far I'm not aware of any problems with them. As with other components they have to designed for the task and work well with the frame and other parts. Just buy your bike from a reputable manufacturer and get on with riding.
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I'm always curious about what causes folks to have silly thoughts and then lack the circumspection to post them.
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Aluminum forks have been around for close to 30 years. So far I'm not aware of any problems with them. As with other components they have to designed for the task and work well with the frame and other parts. Just buy your bike from a reputable manufacturer and get on with riding.
Every bike I own has a steel fork, but I do not lose any sleep over the safety of other riders who roll on an aluminum fork. Viscounts aside, they'll be safe with those forks.
#17
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While aluminum forks have come a long way, and we shouldn't generalize based on one poor example, there was a thing nicknamed the "Death Fork" on Viscount and Lambert bikes. It was made of cast aluminum, and it was notorious for premature failure. (Some might say that the unreliable reputation was exaggerated.)
Every bike I own has a steel fork, but I do not lose any sleep over the safety of other riders who roll on an aluminum fork. Viscounts aside, they'll be safe with those forks.
Every bike I own has a steel fork, but I do not lose any sleep over the safety of other riders who roll on an aluminum fork. Viscounts aside, they'll be safe with those forks.
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The only area where aluminum is questionable is in steerer tubes, especially 1" ones. But most (all?) reputable makers of aluminum forks use a steel steerer, so there's no need to debate.
BTW- why the question? There are plenty of choices out there in all sorts of materials, with aluminum having a small slice of the market, so it's not like anyone is twisting your arm.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
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You just gave me an idea. I have an Ava "Death Stem" and "Death Bars". I need to find a "Death Fork" to build up a bike for a "friend".
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While aluminum forks have come a long way, and we shouldn't generalize based on one poor example, there was a thing nicknamed the "Death Fork" on Viscount and Lambert bikes. It was made of cast aluminum, and it was notorious for premature failure. (Some might say that the unreliable reputation was exaggerated.)
Every bike I own has a steel fork, but I do not lose any sleep over the safety of other riders who roll on an aluminum fork. Viscounts aside, they'll be safe with those forks.
Every bike I own has a steel fork, but I do not lose any sleep over the safety of other riders who roll on an aluminum fork. Viscounts aside, they'll be safe with those forks.
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OP: I have a vintage Sakae Litage Fx aluminum fork on my vintage Cannondale. They have an excellent reputation among collectors.
#25
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