Replacement fork
 

I sadly crashed my new to me 1985 tommaso super record and the rok was completely totaled in the incident. i am wondering if you C&V people might know somewhere to get a reasonably prices replacement preferably in columbus steel.

Thanks

Chicken

can't help with the replacement, but just wanted to say sorry for your spill and hope you're ok. we all crash at some point. often, it's not the cyclist's fault. hopefully the next one will arrive many moons from now and land you and the bike in a plush grassy knoll.

Double check you DT and TT for damage. Sometimes it is very sublte. Now having said that, maybe you shouldn't. I would rather ride not knowing if it isn't visable without using a straight edge! Best of luck finding a fork!

Thanks for the kind words, as far as crashes got not the worst for my body just some face road rash, but the worst and probably most devastating emotionally, i was head over heels in love with my bike.

You could try emailing Tommasini... I think it is Barb that has been pretty responsive regarding serial numbers, etc. Search the forums, I know the email address has been posted before. Maybe in the Tommasini lounge thread here in C&V.

They still make forks (Air?), such as this:

http://www.hibike.com/shop/product/p...bike-fork.html

Good luck. It would be a shame for such a nice bike as yours to not be able to get an acceptable replacement.

Its actually a tommaso, which was 10 speed imposts out of California house brand but it is a columbus slx frame and italian bike with mostly painstakingly gathered and installed campy.

oops, sorry, Reading comprehension fail :o

I guess a good question here would be "what's 'reasonably priced'?"

I was looking around a possible fork options recently, and a good LBS cited ~$170 for a good production fork in Tange Prestige (from Soma? Surly? I don't recall, though Soma can go as low as $120-40 for Tange Infinity offerings - not Columbus, I know, and maybe not as nice as you'd like), and more like $300-400 for a Columbus fork from Marinoni (custom). The latter quote is similar to what you'd expect to pay for a custom from, say, Davidson in Seattle ($400 list price). Hopefully others are not too horrified to hear that I went with a Kestrel EMS 1" threaded carbon unit myself, at a mere 90 for one that'd never been ridden. For your application, almost certainly not the direction you'd go! Might be worth looking out for a used one (perhaps repaint to your preferred color to match), or considering a production fork?

I'm definitely interested in hearing suggestions as to what might be the best available deals on high quality road forks...

Not sure what size you need but here's one that might work/fit...?

Columbus Cromor full chrome fork

The Tommasini Air fork (Columbus) i linked before would run around $250, which I guess for that quality of fork isn't that bad, and IMO wouldn't be out of place on your Tommaso. You might luck onto something on ebay etc. as well, or possibly somewhere here or another forum.

How badly damaged is your current fork? Maybe a framebuilder could replace the fork blades? Someone like Chris Kvale, etc. I'm sure could do a nice job.

There are a wide variety of NOS forks available from Euro Asia Imports. Their website offers many Italian-made, name brand forks under their products link. The list includes Casati, Colnago, Daccordi, Guerciotti, Cinelli and Columbus.

In my opinion, either the Cinelli or Columbus fork would be a suitable and appropriate replacement, as often many 'traditional' Italian bicycles are fitted with Cinelli and Columbus components.

You cannot order directly from EAI, but you can indeed mailorder their entire stock thru Milwaukee Cycles, or any retail store that has an EAI account.

Euro Asia certainly isn't cheap, but they carry the real deal, and it's often NOS, which is pretty cool...

tell us what size you need: measure the steerer of the original and note how much is threaded.
I have a couple that might work, but... "size matters".

ill take it off sometime this weekend and measure it when i can get to the right tools , in the mean time here are some pictures of the fork

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...psd967805b.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps202ca976.jpg

ouch... quick release not tightened?

I've never seen a fork bent like that where the wheel had stayed with the fork.

Did you lose the wheel and are you badly injured ? Wheel goes away crashes are usually
the most frightening and often very damaging to the rider.

If you'll settle for not an exact match- the ebay "vintage" routine usually lists several at any given time- I've watched this one come and go twice now with no takers- Not Columbus, but measley Reynolds 753- at least that's what it says- nice sloping crown
currently ended, but may be relisted:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Raleigh-Reyn...vip=true&rt=nc

The wheel decided it would take off for greener pastures on its own, i know it was tight in the drop outs so my best guess is that since i came in very fast 20mph+ on the wreck something caught my wheel and i had enough momentum the the wheel statyed behind and i took the rest of the bike with me (i was using clips and straps so no getting out off the bike at that moment) and the fact that i landed with my chin seems to support my hypotheses in my mind at least, i got lucky my chin has some serious swelling and soreness along with my shoulders but thats honestly it, the helmet saved the important thinking parts.

Do you think the quick release failed? Is it broken?

anyway that's why on my motorized bike at least I always use bolt on axles and even try to have those "safety washers" if the fork accomodates them. It's really nasty going over like that and glad you're OK.

Actually in 14 years of racing road, I only ever heard of one QR lever failure- and that was a VERY minimal Hi-E that was really sort of just an alloy bolt on affair- Never had one go myself, but cringe when I see some turkey turn the lever the wrong way, so that it can catch on something and open-

like Dave Stoller quickly does in "Breaking Away" just before he kisses the postman. Ciao Lance..... moocher's going....

Holy **** dude, that is a nasty spill. I'm checking my front qr's tonight.

Me too, getting ready for a morning ride, will check for sure.

I got about 170mm with 35mm threaded

I'll check what I have tomorrow, it will probably be all chrome if anything matches up.

Damn, that fork looks nasty! Glad you weren't hurt worse, and good luck on a replacement. Nice bike!

Just wondering if you scrounged around to see if you had any viable option, really appreciate it

Duoh! Forgot to look...I'll make a note and do it next time but it'll be a couple days, sorry.:o