Originally Posted by
Steely Dan
i have a bike with a straight blade carbon fork and one with a straight blade aluminum fork. the carbon fork is very noticeably less "buzzy". j-bends might do other wonderfully magical things to forks as well, but even just comparing like for like (ie. straight blade with straight blade), i like my carbon fork a whole hell of a lot more than my aluminum fork. maybe it's just a design issue and i need to find a better designed aluminum fork, but if i'm replacing my aluminum fork anyway, i might as well just go carbon. i've heard and read a lot of experiences from others about how going with a carbon fork improved the ride of their bike. along with my own experiences, i'm inclined to believe that there might be something to it.
Replacing an aluminum fork with a CF fork will decrease the harshness of your ride to a degree. However, as the fork is only one part of a larger assembly of parts, do not expect a dramatic change. The frame, tires, wheels, seat post, handlebars, stem and saddle each play a part in the ability of the bike to handle uneven surfaces.