GSJones2011

Hello all,

After a very useful trip to my LBS, I'm trying to decide between a Cannondale Quick 4 ($600) and a Quick 5 ($490). While there are a few small differences in components (different wheels and different Shimano shifters), the main difference is that the Quick 4 has carbon forks and the Quick 5 has aluminum forks.

I understand from other posts that carbon forks diffuse vibration better and therefore make for a smoother ride. I've also seen hints, however, that carbon forks are more susceptible to breaking and causing catastrophic accidents. Is there anything to this? One website suggests it's best to replace carbon forks every 2 years - if that's the case, I think I'll just go with the aluminum.

Any other thoughts on the Quick 4 vs. Quick 5 would also be appreciated.

Scooby214

While I don't have any experience with the carbon fork on the Quick 4, a carbon fork is usually more comfortable to ride on than an aluminum fork. They can be more susceptible to damage, and are more likely to fail completely when damaged. Specialized recommends replacing carbon forks every 3 years, though they probably make the recommendation to protect themselves from lawsuits. I guess the point is that carbon forks have shorter lifespans than aluminum or steel forks. The aluminum fork will transmit more vibrations to your hands, though you may find it is not noticeable enough to worry about. My favorite fork is a good ol' cromo steel fork, but it wouldn't be a good fit on either bike you mentioned.

If it was my potential purchase, I'd go with the carbon fork. After passing the 2-year mark, I'd be sure to regularly inspect the fork and start putting my change away in anticipation of eventually replacing the fork. I wouldn't plan to replace it at 2 years on the dot, as it should last you much longer than two years.

goldfinch

I have the Quick 4 with only about a 120 miles on it so far. I ride on a lot of ratty streets and am glad to have the carbon fork.

HazeT

I would recommend you take both for a ride and see if you find any difference, I personally could not. I've a road bike with carbon for and recently bought a cheap hybrid and I can't tell the difference, as expected, the hybrid is unbelievably smoother then the road bike, but that's due to the 700x23 vs 700x35 tires. The tires are your bumps/potholes absorver, not the fork. The carbon fork is said to absorb the constant buzz of the road, not the imperfections, but I could not tell the difference myself...
Also saying that carbon fork are fragile and will catastrophic fail on you is bull****, they are extremely strong and made to handle the load in the directions that they were made to handle the job... they are not designed to take hammering sideways, but I've myself put the fork standing on a towel to hammer a new star-nut in, no problems.
Carbon fiber is also used to make the cockpit of formula one car, high performance cars and etc... and these things some times wreck at 150+ mph and the cockpit is the safest place. Carbon fiber is also sometimes used in the structural engineering where safety of hundreds of lives are involved without a problem.
Not least, carbon fiber is the direction that every bike manufacturer is going, making it cheaper and cheaper and probably eventually replacing the aluminum as bike construction material, do you really think specialized, giant, trek and others would still be in business if bikes being ridden at 30mph where just shattering, catastrophic failing? no... carbon fiber is perfectly safe if used by the intended use "again, no sideways hammering a fork".
Saying that carbon fiber is more prone to catastrophic failure is like the story of the guy who woke up in a bath tube full of ice missing a kidney... urban legend.

timtak

I just bought a Cannondale Quick 4 as my bike for commuting on days with snow. It was only about 110 USD second hand. I did not notice that the fork is carbon, but indeed it is. As HazeT says the tyre size make a lot more difference to the vibration than the fork, and with a 35mm tire the effect of fork material is imho low. if you go for speedy, slick, thinner, high pressure tyres you may feel the difference, certainly on a road bike, but on a hybrid like the Cannondale Quick, the forks are really thick and robust so even in carbon I don't think they are not going to absorb much road buzz.

Carbon forks this (Cannondale Quick 4) size -- they are really chunky -- will last forever. I doubt many people need to replace carbon forks in any size due to wear. Carbon is strong.

I think carbon chain stays are a bit more fraught especially if you knock over your bike, or have heel rub.

I have broken the top tube of a carbon bike but only due to very very extreme misuse. I think that in general, carbon often lasts longer than the owner.

Trakhak

Zombie . . .

That said, a 2018 Bicycle Quarterly article touted the shock absorption on rumble strips and smooth pavement of a flexible curved steel fork compared to a Rockshox suspension fork and a "stiff" Trek fork (material not mentioned, but either aluminum or carbon fiber; measured both with and without padded tape) and helpfully included graphs showing watts saved. The steel fork was best---no surprise there.

The revelation for me was that padded handlebar tape made more of a difference than I ever would have suspected. Extrapolating from the test results, using two layers of thick padded tape would be nearly as effective as the favored steel fork (the supposed superiority of which was the point of the comparison) at softening impacts and absorbing vibration.

Which has been exactly my experience. I've used double layers of thick tape on drop bars for many years---originally to protect the damaged ulnar nerve in my left hand, but also to enjoy the greater overall grip comfort and shock absorption. Maybe that's why I can't detect any difference in comfort or vibration between the steel, carbon, and aluminum forks (curved or straight) on my bikes.

timtak

I am with you, maybe.

Sofa Bars by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

Sofa Bars by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

New Sofa Bars by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

Then I started using an old-school-French bunched-up-at--the-back style of pedalling and I am no longer putting much weight on my bars so normal bar tape is fine.