eandmwilson

My current fork is Chro Moly on an Al frame. Would a carbon fork make any sense? Or am I getting about all the "damping, smoothing" etc I can expect?

And if I DID make the switch, I'm assuming not all carbon forks are created equal, either, and one fork may work better than another?

sydney

I wouldn't switch out a cromo fork excpt to save weight.There are more cost effective ways to get 'better damping smoothing'. And correct about all CF forks not being equal

eandmwilson

Such as?

oilman_15106

Changed over to carbon fork with steel frame. Main difference is weight. What kind of riding are you doing? Could influence your choice of forks. Also if you have a 1" threaded headset your choices may be limited. Try ebay.

sydney

gloves,good bar tape and or gel inserts under bar tape. Few less pis in tires.

eandmwilson

Since I'm riding a hybrid with a straight bar, is taping an option? I guess it is, but I just haven't seen it done. BTW, I ride most touring and commuting, so off road functionality isn't needed.

sydney

A CF fork on a hybrid is an even bigger waste of time and money since you aleady have relatively squishy tires.

eandmwilson

Not exactly. I'm currently riding 35s, but can (and have) go down to 25s. It's a modified 2001 Trek 7200FX, which is similar to the current Trek 7200FX. It just kills my hands after 20 minutes or so, which is why I'm looking for anything to help out the ride.

Cyclepath

Is carbon really trustworthy enough for a fork? That's the one part i would not want to go on me (besides the bar).

I put a Sakae aluminum fork on my Peugeot after the stock CrMo was trashed in a wreck - it improved the ride.

sydney

You realy do need to get out more often.

Stubacca

The difference between chromoly and carbon forks is pretty minimal... steel forks do a very good job at damping. If it was an Al fork you may actually notice a difference, but between a CF and a steel fork it really just comes down to weight. I certainly wouldn't pay to change it out.

Is it vibration that kills your hands (wrists?)? I kinda doubt it... 700x35s with a steel fork is a pretty cushy combo. On the hybrid I used to ride, it was lack of alternate hand positions that caused me grief. I find the standard flat bar hand position to be one of the most uncomfortable hand positions on a bike. Perhaps your body positioning is putting too much weight on to your hands, too.

Do you have a set of bar ends?

eandmwilson

I have some Cane Creek bar ends that sit more evenly on the bar than just straight forward bar ends. As a result, though, I can't really put my hands on them in too many positions. Maybe I need to look at different grips or something. I also have the option of raising the bar (variable angle stem) to take some of the lean out and pressure off.

And thanks for the useful opinion about carbon vs chromoly--your experience with a similar setup confirms what I was suspecting all along.

Stubacca

The Cane Creek bar ends are quite good. To me, hands on the bar ends is a more natural position (it's pretty much the same position as on the brake hoods of a road bike, just wider). You might try different grips or some gloves if you're not already using them.

I'm not a fitness guru by any means so I'm not sure if this applies to everyone, but increasing my core strength helped bike comfort a lot. Greater core strength seems to have helped by body hold the on-bike position rather than having more of that weight supported by my hands/wrists.

A couple of tips that might help (not sure which of these you already know/do... just a brain dump!):

• Make sure you have a very relaxed grip with slightly bent elbows. A bicycle needs direction, not micro control. The bike and your body handle better when you're relaxed.
• If your elbows are straight and/or your grip is tight, all the road shock is transmitted through your joints. Use your arms and legs for suspension. Keep them supple.
• Aside from the handling benefits of a gentle grip, think about this: If you sat in a chair at home squeezing an aluminum tube for two hours, your hands would be exhausted, right?

Cromulent

Darn it! I knew I was holding my beer too tightly. Beer needs guidance, not micro contol. Got it.

(Thank you. You guys have been great. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses. Drive home safe. Good night, everybody.)

Stubacca's advice on position and vibration dampening is right on, I think. I have a much easier time when I don't have a death grip on the bike. And I seem to expend less energy if I'm not tense.

Stubacca

dlbcx

You could switch out the bars for a Ti one. Kind of expensive but Ti has a little more elongation to it. Bontrager, Moots and maybe Sibex makes 'em.