i've never had any trouble with the winwood. i bought it mostly for weight saving over my steel fork [when i have to hoist my bike three times a lap, i can get pretty weight conscious]. the ride quality is quite good, though the difference over the steel fork in that respect isn't dramatic, particularly when you run 30's or 35's at 60-70 psi. the tires do most of the shock absorbing. i did ride my 'cross bike as a road bike with 23 tires this spring and rather liked the winwood's ride quality, though.