Thread: Bent fork
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Old 02-21-11 | 03:13 PM
  #4  
FBinNY
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From: New Rochelle, NY

Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

For safety reasons steel forks have overbuilt steerers made of reasonably malleable steel grades and tempers. I've seen much more serious bends survive and - before fear of lawsuit became an issue - these were routinely straightened and ridden for years afterward.

Bent forks were routinely straightened or ridden as is for decades. Everyone of my generation either rode or knew someone riding a straightened or custom-made short-wheelbase bicycle. But these days that's out of fashion, because in the event of any kind of subsequent failure no shop or professional would want to face a jury in a civil suit. If it were my bike, I'd pull it back and ride it after removing and inspecting the steerer for any cracks.

As for as riding it as it is, the frame clearance is less than I'd like, so I'd first test by lightly taping a piece of cardboard to the downtube thick enough to fill about half the gap at the nearest point. Then ride it on a fairly bumpy course to see if the fork flexes enough to touch. If not, you have the added thickness of the cardboard as a safety margin.

The real issue is toe clearance, especially if you have big feet. Make sure your toes cannot touch the tire at the nearest point.

BTW- if the fork is carbon or alloy it's toast, because those are far less forgiving than steel is.
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