wrightgm

So here is the story. I am looking for a new all-weather commuter bike. My commute right now is only 3-4 miles one way but will probably go up to 10-12 miles in the next couple of years so I am planning for that. Commute will be on roads, not planning any trail riding.

The bikes I am looking at are the Giant Seek 0 (aluminum fork), Kona Dr. Fine (carbon fork) or the Scott Sub 10 (aluminum fork). The Rayleigh Cadent i11 (carbon fork) is also an option but it is really pushing my price limit.

It is really hard for me to find these bikes to test ride though. I have tried the Seek 0, and next weekend I will try the Scott Sub 30 (same geometry as Sub 10) to get a sense of the fit. But nobody seems to stock to the Rayleigh Cadent or the Dr. Fine.

I like the Seek 0, but I am a bit nervous that the carbon fork would be a good benefit for longer commutes in terms of hand fatigue and comfort. Has anyone switched from an aluminum fork to a carbon fork and noticed a big difference in the comfort of their ride?

Techmanac

the Giant Seek 0 is Alfine-8 not Alfine-11 and thats a big price jump in itself, its also a much better unit. LQQK it up.

PS i ordered a i11

a1penguin

If the roads are smooth, you may not notice much of a difference between the Aluminum and carbon forks. If the road is bumpy, the carbon fork will help smooth out the ride. So will wider tires.

Delmarva

I would suggest that you look at the bike as a whole and not focus on just the front fork and how it might ride. Not trying to be argumenative, but I think a good test ride of each of those bikes will give you a more useful answer to your question.

wrightgm

Thanks, I didn't realize the Alfine-11 was so much different than the Alfine-8 other than the obvious additional gearing. This does certainly make the Raleigh more intriguing.

If I had access to all these bikes to test ride that would make my decision easy, the problem is I can't seem to find any bike shops with the carbon fork models in stock. I wanted to more get a sense if it is worth putting more effort into trying to track down some of these bikes or if I am wasting my time if all I am trying to do is find out the difference in feel between an aluminum fork and a carbon fork.

Techmanac

if you can wait till 2/28/2012 ill let you know how the cadet rides

teicher

Personally, I'd like to see some scientific proof that carbon forks make a big difference in ride quality. I've read that steel frames and carbon forks feel better than Aluminum so many times that it's starting to sound like a myth to me. Bet you could run lower air pressure in your front tire and smooth out your ride....

EdgewaterDude

Having owned bikes with both, it has never been an issue of mine. Then again, main streets in Chicago are in fairly good shape. My last three bikes have had aluminum forks; I had a Trek 1.2 with a carbon fork. I couldn't say for sure that the 1.2 was silky smooth over the others. If I were a weight weenie, I'd be more compelled for the carbon over aluminum in that sense.

LarDasse74

It almost impossible to tell the difference, especially with 32mm wide tires. Perhaps when riding narrower, higher pressure tires for hours and hours there could be slightly less vibration transferred through the fork, but it will never be near as much as a slightly wider tire can absorb. And that is if the carbon fork is actually properly designed and built to transfer less vibration - just knowing that one is 'carbon' and one is 'aluminum' tells you nothing.

wrightgm

I got a chance to test ride the Cadent FT3 last night (with 28 mm tires). Basically the same bike as the Cadent i11 except with derailleur and rim brakes instead of IGH and disc brakes. I liked it quite a bit, very responsive and quick bike but the FT3 is quite a bit lighter than the i11. Still, the fit and comfort were very nice as well. I think it comes down to the Seek 0 vs i11. I have to admit, flying around on the FT3 and then picking up an i8 they had in the store made me think twice about the IGH haha!

Techmanac

so are you going with the FT3?

NWS Alpine

You could always add a carbon fork later if you want. Honestly though if you are running some tires like big apples it will all feel the same.

Steely Dan

as an owner of a 2011 Scott SUB 10, i can offer a little insight into my experiences with it.

overall, it's a fantastic bike. i've put nearly 3,000 miles on it so far and have really come to enjoy the ride. it serves as my foul weather/winter/back-up commuter (actually my only commuter these days as my road bike and folding bike are both currently out of commission).

as for the aluminium fork, i did at first experience hand numbness issues with this bike, and i initially chalked it up to the aluminum fork. i thought about switching it out for a carbon fork, but then reading posts here on BF praising Ergon grips and how they had solved hand numbness issues for so many others, so i decided to give them a try as a cheaper alternative to fork replacement. i got a pair of Ergon GC3's and they have completely erased all of the hand numbness issues i was having when i first got my Scott SUB 10.

nymtber

My sirrus has aluminum fork, and I noticed no real difference from my Allez that had a carbon fork. Sirrus has 28c tires, Allez had 23c Michelins. I ride lots of chip-seal roads, which are not too smooth, and its fine. The main roads its smooth as can be. I run 120psi front/125psi rear.

Not really sold on carbon. I like Steel if I have a choice

Delmarva

Doubt we will see much in the way of a scientific study. My experience in comparing a carbon frame aluminum fork bike and an all aluminum bike was that the carbon frame was a much smoother ride. I suspect that the frame material has a much bigger impact on how vibrations are transmitted than fork material.

wrightgm

Thanks for the replies everyone. I decided to go with the Raleigh cadent i11. I was able to get the LBS to throw in most of the add-ons (fenders, bar ends, new lock) for free while the Giant flagship store didn't or couldn't make a similar deal. In the end that meant the i11 was only ~$100 more total which I think is worth it for the alfine 11 and carbon fork over the alfine 8 and Al fork (Seek 0). Both are great bikes though!

Techmanac

WTG good luck with it POST the weight and size of the bike when you get it...

Techmanac

Just got mine on Friday March 2nd

Raleigh Cadent i11 - weighs 26 Pounds for the 54cm