new fork question?
 

so I got into an accident a few weeks back...thought my bike fairs pretty well, but im thinking my fork my be bent alitlte bit...bike pulls hard to the left when riding without hands...

so first...is there a way to fix a bent fork...or is it better to just replace?? if thats the case...what are some things i need to know in buying a new fork...I ride a mercier 57cm frame...its got the stock mercier fork on it right now...can I used a threaded OR threadless fork...how can I tell which I have....(assuming I need to remove the fork to tell)

any insight would be greatly appreciated!

you must take it to a good lbs and have it checked over thoroughly for structural damage; if there's a crack that you haven't been able to detect the fork could suddenly fail under you, which you don't want to happen at all.

assuming you're talking about a mercier kilo tt, it's steel and threaded. if it's a minor misalignment then steel can certainly be "cold-set" (ie bent) back into shape, by someone who knows what they're doing. if you're thinking to replace the fork you can do so with either a threaded or a threadless one, as long as it has the same size steerer (1", i believe), however to run the threadless fork you'd need to replace the headset and stem too, as the ones you have are not compatible

I'll go waaaay out on a limb and say you've got a 1inch threaded fork.

Easy to replace, just make sure the steerer tube is long enough for your frame.

I've had a fork snap off at the crown. Not a nice experience, and involved me huddling in a phonebox on top of a hill for 3 hours waiting to be picked up after my crash. So I say go for new forks.

thanks guys!!! any good online sources aside from the obvious craigslist, ebay...looking for one similar to the one I currently have...dig the style...but its gonna be hard as hell to find a green fork....a nice chrome one should look pretty good....

I put a chrome straight blade on my black kilo and I think it looks great.

unless you have to have threaded trackstar has tange track forks one inch threaded for a little over a hundred but then you could just buy a new bike for not to much more

I was hit by a cab in September and the same thing was happening to me.

My lbs told me not to ride without hands. :)

Anyways, he was kind enough to bend the fork back, and besides some chipped paint right on the "curved" part, she rides good as new.

I guess I was lucky:

1. I didn't die.
2. My lbs knows their sh*t
3. It would have been IMPOSSIBLE to find a matching fork.

(i'm thinking about switching #1 with #3)

Can you see the fork is bent? A number of things could throw off the handling, esp damage to the headset or the wheel/hub. +1 on the lbs -- they can check out the damage, and if it's a bent fork, prob bend it back. The repair and peace of mind would come in well under the price of a new fork.

I ride a KHS Flite 100 (same bike as yours), got hit, and replaced my fork with the Soma Rush fork.

They come in black, red, and the aforementioned chrome. They're made of Tange Prestige which is a pretty nice Crmo. I love the fork. It has a little less clearance than the stock fork, but it didn't seem to change the handling at all.

yeah the change in handling could be a bent downtube or top tube as well

are you the mercier thats always in front of NESOP?

yea that rush fork is the best ever.

hahah yea TN!! who are you and why do you know my bike??

adam