Someone at the local LBS. I took what he said with a grain of salt, but the difference in the properties of aluminum and steel is undeniable.
Are you saying the aluminum fork is fine to ride? I'm looking to put some serious miles on this bike and don't want to have to worry about my fork snapping mid climb/sprint/etc. Oh and the whole frame is aluminum (the A in 1400A stands for Aluminum. The previous years 1400 came as a steel model).