deadprez012

Got hit by a car today (protected left, negligent driver, blah blah, not worried about all that anymore--I'm fine, they ran, no help for my cause) and have already gone to an LBS to have the frame checked. 93 Diamondback Interval frame is straight, no metal damage (superficial or otherwise).

Front fork took an interesting blow, pushed the steel well past the fatigue point so is completely unsafe to ride. I need to know:

1) What to measure to know steerer length & diam as specified by fork manufacturers;
2) If a 700c fork is good for any 700c wheel or if there are details I missed;
3) If full carbon is worth the investment or if I could just find another steel fork for similar performance (not a resto, so year specific doesn't matter. This bike is for riding)
4) If dropping this Profile Design threadless system is a better idea than keeping it (for cost reasons)
5) Any other relevant tips that will make this repair process reasonably priced, fast, & safe

Please get me serious responses, because this is the only bike I have for serious riding and I don't have the cash to just buy a new one. Probably $300 are available at absolute most (and I love this frame, so another CV hunt is NOT attractive right now). Also, 1st tri in Sept means saddle time is incredibly valuable, so responses will be taken quite seriously so as to minimize downtime.

Dunte

Blackdays

https://pedalforce.com/online/index.php?cPath=100089

deadprez012

And, if anyone chooses to get this specific, the bike is NOT a dedicated Tri/TT bike. Curved forks work better for cornering--I get the physics there--so no dedicated straight forks please.

Also, I'm truly new to this so the more detail you can provide, or the more resources, the better off I will be. Thanks guys!

ericm979

There's no difference between curved and straight forks' handling as long as they have the same offset and length.

ptle

I'd get a carbon fork. A good steel fork will probably cost almost as much, unless it's cheap.

Easton makes good forks too... along with 3T, Reynolds, Edge, Ritchey.

deadprez012

@ericm979: I assume you took me to mean curved bars or angled straight bars for which steering characteristics are the same as under your statement, when I mean curved or razor straight. Razor straight, parallel to the steering angle, wouldn't have an offset and isn't what I want because it would have a longer trail. But back to op, any other answers would be helpful.

colombo357

https://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/boxxer-r2c2

grolby

What? No one makes a fork like you describe. You have nothing to worry about.

LesterOfPuppets

Yeah, you'd be awfully hard pressed to find a zero offset fork.

1" fork, right? Budget crmo for 40 bones. 4th one down. Hopefully that works with the threadless conversion on your bike.

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...4&category=704

Ooh, AE bike has it even cheaper.
https://aebike.com/product/dimension-...k0084-qc30.htm

Time to compare shipping costs.

Here's a Tange in chrome for $44. Steerer looks a little thick like its 1 1/8" tho... you'd have to verify first.

https://kozy.com/product/tange-theadless-fork-10715.htm

deadprez012

Okay, lots of places to look to buy. Where exactly do I measure steerer length? Top of top bearing race to bottom of bottom? Center to center on the races? Not on the races at all?

Also, is it best to keep the threadless design? Is there any actual advantage to that?

And finally, I assume that 1" / 1-1/8" business is the diameter of the steering/head tube hole?

LesterOfPuppets

Bottom of crown race to the top of the steerer tube.

I can't remember what kinda rig you have. If it's a threadless headset put on a threaded fork, I'd go with a threadless fork this time.
If it's a threaded headset with some adapter that allows for threadless style stem to be attached, then you can go threaded or get fork + headset if you want to make the conversion.

Threadless advantage = more variety of stems available these days, most have a removable front plate for easy bar removal.
Disadvantage = mostly uglier stems available.


Outside diameter of steerer tube.

deadprez012

There is a threadless stem-to-threaded fork quill adapter. I assume, then, that all headset pieces are conventionally threaded. Since I have little interest in changing lots of stems on down the line, would it be easiest (or most effective) to get a threaded stem now, or to stick with this adapter? If I'm looking to move my bars up or out, should I get a new stem?

As far as old-style 7 stems, where can I get information about them? I've found lots of things about headsets, about threaded/threadless forks, etc, but don't know what to look for about stems.