Grand Bois

I need a fork for an early '70s Raleigh Competition. Can somebody tell me where I can find a Tange infinity or Prestige fork like # T-2401 or T-2406? All I can find are the ugly unicrown forks.

https://www.tange-design.com/tange_2007/forks2.htm

Otis

Huh, I'm surprised to see those, I thought they were no longer available. I could not find a contact email on that site. I guess you would have to contact them somehow and ask for a dealer list. I wonder how much the traditional cromo forks are now? I need one for a Nishiki Competition. If you find a source please let us know.

Grand Bois

There's a NOS Raleigh 531 fork on ebay, but the BIN price is $250. I'd expect to get the whole bike for that kind of money!

dbakl

I have an early Competition fork, for a pretty small frame though, 5 3/8" steerer tube. Black, sloping crown, 1/2 chrome, Huret dropouts.

Grand Bois

That sounds like the fork that was original to the frame, but with a shorter steerer. Somebody needs to invent a tool to stretch steerers.

This is the original fork for the Raleigh:

Grand Bois

What's up with these?

https://cgi.ebay.com/PARAMOUNT-BICYCL...QQcmdZViewItem

Kommisar89

I like those Tange forks but I don't know where to get one. How about this Surly? It says track fork but it's drilled for a brake. Rake is 43mm. I'm not sure how steep that would be compared to a typical road fork.

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...9&category=633

bonechilling

That's a Soma fork, and I'm pretty sure they're made for them by Tange. I think this is what the OP is looking for.

jgedwa

Please report back if you do find a retail source for these forks. I suspect they are only for available for framemakers.

jim

Grand Bois

The Soma fork looks like it would work for me. The price is higher than I expected, but the price of everything is more than I expect to pay these days. It has less rake than the original, but that might not be a bad thing.

dannyg1 

Thanks Kommisar89 for the truly excellent soma forkfind!

Danny

Kommisar89

Oops, how'd I mix up Surly and Soma? Anyway, I wish they had the chrome fork with canti bosses - I'd pick one up for the Panasonic. It sure does look like a nice fork though. I'm going to have measure the rake on my current bikes just to see where that falls.

Grand Bois

I won the Raleigh 531 replacement fork on eBay for $100, so my problem is solved. I'm going to paint it yellow and put it on the Carlton and put the sloping crown fork on the Competition where it belongs.

Thanks for the advice, anyway.

Fred Smedley

I would of sold you my Carlton for $200(complete). It's a 1965 though.

RK1963

I wonder how many bike shops out there would be willing and able to mill a fork crown race down to the needed size? They might look at you like you are crazy.

Landgolier

Most shops can mill down crown races, though I'm pretty sure you can get a $20 Tange now that has ISO cups and a JIS crown race so that you can run a replacement JIS fork without milling it.

dbakl

Post some pics, I love Carltons!

Barabaika

Don't most bikes of the 70s-80s require a 27" fork?
Dimension has 27" forks that are cheap ($22) and look good.
https://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30...and=108&type=T

Grand Bois

They look to me like they're worth all of $22.

I was looking for a fork for a double butted Reynolds 531 frame.

Kommisar89

Depends - most upper mid-range to higher end bikes of the 70's to early 80's that I would use a premium Tange Prestige fork like that one were equipped with tubulars or 700C clinchers. 27" wheels were used on entry level bikes and often on touring bikes. On most of the bikes I've owned you could swap between 27" and 700C wheels and just adjust the long slot, medium to long reach brake calipers. That won't work for all bikes of course. I guess you'd just have to try the fork and see. The 27" fork you point out there would work well for entry level bikes where a 700C fork won't fit. Too bad it's not chrome.