Per the Waterford site, 80s Paramounts came with one of five different size forks depending on frame size, with fork size indicated in serial number by letters A through E from smallest to largest. My 61cm 87 Paramount originally had a size D fork, which the original owner damaged so I do not have it. I am looking to get a new fork for the bike and woulld like to match original size. I know based on geometry listings I have seen that rake was 40mm for evey size but have not been able to find info on different lengths. Hoping BF can hook me up.

My '87 62cm Paramount has an "E" fork (620E WK 87077). I'm pretty sure everything below the crown race was identical (40mm rake, 355mm length), so the letter designation only referred to the steerer tube length (and is based on the length of the head tube).

This is the Paramount frameset page from the '87 Parts & Accessories Catalog.

EDIT - If you like, I can pull my fork, measure the head tube and steerer length, and you could then have a fork made with a steerer the same length relative to the head tube length as my 62 cm. I can also verify exactly how the 355mm dimension was measured.

Thanks scooper. Now that you point out steerer tube, the answerbtommy question seems obvious and I feel like an idiot for not realizing that. I inferred from the info I had seen about there being different "fork sizes" the difference was in blades and never even considered the obvious differences in steerer different frame sizes would entail. I would assume the 355mm length is crown to axel but if you could post a measurement from your fork, I would appreciate that. The steerer length on the fork I have now is right for me so I don't need that.

Measure the head tube, a replacement fork should have a steerer tube about 45mm longer than that. Its always better to be a few mm longer than short.

The 355 mm "length" is a straight line dimension from the dropout centers to the center of the brake bolt hole in the crown. The length between the dropout centers and the crown race seat parallel to the steerer is 365 mm. I verified the fork rake is 40 mm.

I measured the steerer from the top to the crown race seat, and it was 235 mm. The head tube length is 195 mm. So, the steerer is 40 mm longer than the head tube.



Here's the measurement setup.



Dummy axle center.



Dummy axle center to brake hole center. 355 mm



Dummy axle center to crown race seat (parallel to steerer). 365 mm



Rake. 40 mm

Thanks Scooper. I have not seen the first method of measuring forks before, only ever seen the axle to crown line parallel to the steerer. I sort of thought 355 seemed on the short side.

Yep; I'm not sure why Schwinn chose to measure the "fork height" that way. IMHO, it's not nearly as useful as either axle-to-crown race seat (straight line) or axle to crown race seat (parallel to the steerer) because it lacks the dimension between the brake hole in the crown and the crown race seat.

Nevertheless, it is used often enough for BikeCAD to include it in describing fork length. It is dimension "K" on the fork measurements page. "L" is the length from the axle to crown race seat (parallel to the steerer), and the cell labeled "L" can be alternately chosen "AC", which is axle to crown race seat (straight line).

These are the actual dimensions taken from the fork.