pacent

I just bought a Felt SR91 bike about a month ago and have since put on about 150 miles. I use to ride a lot when I was younger, but now I am getting back into the sport. I noticed that the aluminum frame is a lot stiffer than the steel bikes I was use to before. I've been going on short 15-20 mile rides a few times a week and I noticed that my wrist and arms feel so beat up after I'm through. My buddy just got a road bike with a CF fork, and I noticed the vibrations are a lot less. Would switching out to a CF fork on my bike make a difference in vibration and overall stiffness? The SR91 is a flat bar road bike that has v-brakes...so I know I might have some trouble fitting on some road forks. I'm a total noob when it comes to upgrading, so any ideas as to what to get? I'm on a budget, so cheaper is better.

sydney

^^^^^...Even if it could be done, don't waste your money.Get squishier grips and good padded gloves and have lots left over for beer.

Stubacca

Wot he said.

Or keep the money to put towards the new road bike you'll be buying soon.

Ebbtide

Good gloves help, so does working up to an aggressive position. 150 miles is nothng in the sceme of getting a good base and feel for the bike.

daytonian

I would get 1k on bike before you launch the forks. You may like the entire setup at 300 miles.

Stubacca

Are you riding with straight arms? Your arms should be relaxed while you ride, elbows slightly bent. Straight arms create pain in all sorts of places.

The only front end upgrade I'd consider is a set of bar-ends. They'll give you a few more hand positions which can be helpful if your wrists are getting sore.

531Aussie

aren't there plenty of affordable carbon forks in the US?

just be aware that not all carbon forks are flexy and comfy. If you do get one, make sure it's what you want. My limited experience with carbon forks is that an all-carbon fork (steerer and blades) is more flexy/comfortable, but also more expensive

Patriot

If you really want cf forks, you can get some good deals on Ebay. Also Nashbar regularly has cf forks on sale. They won't be top of the line Reynolds, and may be Nashbar brand, but for your older bike, they would be more than good enough. Here's an example.

https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

Also, make sure you get the right steerer size. If it is an older bike with a threaded steerer, you may have a VERY hard time finding a set of forks, and may want to just get a new bike at that point.

johnny99

Or get a wider front tire and lower your air pressure. Remember that older steel bikes often used 1.25" tires, which are quite a bit plusher than the 23mm tires commonly found today.

Also, think about moving your saddle back a little to take some weight off of your hands and shoulders.