Carbon Fiber suspension
07-21-09, 12:40 AM
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Carbon Fiber suspension
Why isn't this a huge trend in mountain biking? I would think there would be at least one company mass producing them.
07-21-09, 01:13 AM
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Cannondale makes extensive use of Carbon fiber in both the Lefty fork and some of their rear suspension designs, as well.
07-21-09, 01:32 AM
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I've ridden a FS carbon Cannondale on a Demo day. Crazy fast. But you'd never see me buying one. I'd be too afraid to crash it. I've broken too many carbon fiber things in my life (XC skiing).
07-21-09, 02:14 AM
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Ah, I forgot about the Lefty Carbon. I'm just surprised there isn't some XC weight weenie all carbon fork that weighs like 2lbs.
07-21-09, 07:25 AM
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My 1997 Proflex had a carbon fiber swingarm... no problems. The higher-end models had carbon frames and linkage forks with carbon legs.
07-21-09, 07:54 AM
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DT swiss and Manitou both make suspension forks with carbon lowers.
07-21-09, 06:45 PM
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Is that yours or a photo you found somewhere?
07-21-09, 07:15 PM
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Oh Lawdy!
I was blessed by the fork gods to be able to set the crown race on that baby. Probably the closest I'll ever get to it again. I would SOOO break that son-of-a-woven-wonder.
Beautiful work though...dayadGUM!
I was blessed by the fork gods to be able to set the crown race on that baby. Probably the closest I'll ever get to it again. I would SOOO break that son-of-a-woven-wonder.
Beautiful work though...dayadGUM!
07-21-09, 08:19 PM
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07-22-09, 05:57 AM
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It's mine...... A build in progress. The wheels are on the way, I will put up a ton of pics when it's finished.
07-22-09, 10:34 AM
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Maybe it's somewhat of a marketing thing, as all of the carbon fiber suspensionless forks tend to be marketed towards cyclocross.... but as others have said, it does exist on the super high end.
07-22-09, 04:32 PM
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Honestly I feel that the carbon lowers will stand up to anything other than a blow from a sledge hammer. I'm sure that wouldn't do mag lowers any good either. There seems to be a lot of scepticism about carbon and mountain biking, but really carbon is pretty tough. If you could put your hands on this fork, I think you would agree that the lowers are more than tough enough for the abuse the fork is designed to take. I sure I'll scuff them up on the rocks at Perry, and Fancy creek, But there are enough layers on it to handle that.
Last edited by dminor; 07-22-09 at 04:51 PM.
07-22-09, 04:38 PM
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Layers, how thick are the lowers? thats what would determine if I trusted it or not.
I marvel at the tensile strength at carbon. but as soon as the resin cracks,if its not high end and done good, it goes downhill.
I marvel at the tensile strength at carbon. but as soon as the resin cracks,if its not high end and done good, it goes downhill.
07-22-09, 04:52 PM
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The sheer volume of wisdom this thread has revealed utterly blows my mind.
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