I am considering having a custom set of titanium tubes welded up (probably by Carver) rather than procure a production bike. I’m basically wanting to build a specialized diverge with a stack/reach ratio closer to a salsa vaya/fargo (or a vaya with a diverge-style roadie build – depending on your point of view). I will run a 35c tire (something like Schwalbe G-One) and will spend 80% of my time over the next several seasons pulling my daughter on a weehoo trailer. About 80% of my miles to date have been pulling the weehoo (which I jokingly describe as “pulling 70lbs of knock-knock jokes”) on paved rails-to-trails, but I am being increasingly drawn to the “path less paved” – crushed stone R2T paths. Lastly, and the source of my challenge I am requesting help with, is my desire to be able to occasionally throw on a front rack to facilitate some light credit card touring.
The challenge I am having is finding a fork that meets my needs.
Requirements:
Disc Brakes
Tire clearance >35c (<42c)
Prefer thru-axle
Rack mounts
My research has produced a list of many carbon forks that meet my requirements with one exception: Rack Mounts.
The higher-end Specialized Diverge forks are carbon and have mid-fork mounts – but has an integrated headset and as far as I know isn’t for sale individually. The Niner RLT bikes have a carbon fork with dual mounts for either Anything Cages or a traditional lowrider rack – but it appears the carbon fork that Niner sells doesn’t have the mounts on them. The Salsa Firestarter Carbon fork has mounts - but I suspect it’s a bit too stiff/heavy for my application as it’s intended for surviving the Divide on a Fargo. I understand some racks can clamp onto the fork – as long as it’s not carbon.
Suggestions for a fork to use on my custom Ti endurance/light tour/gravel bike that is befitting my mission?