Risk cheap forks for touring?
 

Hi all,

I'm interested in your thoughts on whether these forks would be alright for light touring (not with fork panniers). I have purchased a set from my LBS (not Evans as per the link!) in order to convert my 1 1/8th inch threaded headset 1997 Trek MTB to threadless, as the old headset's a bit worn and I want to gain some extra height via the steerer tube, plus have a more conventional headset. I currently have an aluminium quill adapter so I can use a modern (non-quill) stem but I don't have a great deal of faith in it for longer journeys.

The forks are ugly, thick tubing, compared to the nice narrow taper of the originals and I haven't put them on the bike yet. They were only £30 - I know I could spend an extra £35 and get some nice Surly LHT forks or similar but I was already going over budget because I originally went into the shop to buy a higher-angled stem and came out with forks and a headset totalling £40.

I suspect they're fairly bulletproof as they're 1.2kg but I just get a bit frightened at the idea of descending at 30mph on something dodgy. (And hauling the weight on climbs!)

I also try to buy cheap / used parts as much as possible in quiet protest at the MAMILs as I think cycling should be affordable and inclusive!

The forks (2 links):
Raleigh 26" A-Head Rigid Fork - 1 1/8" | Evans Cycles

RALEIGH Rigid Fork 26" Wheel 1.1/8" 255mm | £31.19 | Components | Forks | MailOrderBikes

Cheers guys,

Sb88

I would not hesitate to use those forks for any type of touring.

Rigid= less parts to fail, lower-cost steel more is used in tubing to be = strong to less of higher cost steel .

Thanks for your replies... I might as well up the ante: if I'm going to put some cheap, heavy, ugly A-head forks on, in the name of re-using and recycling, how about these:

Picked them up for £8, used Evapo-rust on surface rust, sanded and rattle-canned black.

The bit that worries me is the drop-outs. If you can see in the photos, they are the type that is welded onto the front of the fork leg, not the bottom, which I always feel makes them more vulnerable. The drop-outs are welded along the full length of the outer sides but only at the top and bottom of the inner sides. I can't see any other forks of this style (segmented rather than curved blades) with the drop-outs like this apart from some BMX forks.
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They are steel throughout, including the steerer (tested with magnet) but I've no idea what bike they came on. The decal said, I think, 'Urban Rat fork' or Urban Rgt fork' - Google showed no signs of these, which makes me suspicious that they're from a BSO, though I've never seen a really terrible supermarket bike with a 1 1/8th thread less steerer.

There's also some pitting on the steerer, which could be problematic if I plan to run the stem high... (6cm-ish of spacers). Plus looking at one of the attached photos of the dropouts, there is some rust which I hadn't seen, on the inside of the drop-out, in between the two blobs of welding.

I suspect I'd be pushing my luck with these on a 10% descent in the Peak District... but cheers for humouring me,

Sb

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I've seen a lot of BSO forks like the ones you've picture at the local bike co-op and I can't think of any failures that didn't involve egregious abuse of the fork/bicycle. I don't think riding down a 10% grade with the forks in your picture would cause the fork ends to just fall off or the welds to crack. If I'm reading this post correctly you've spent £38 on two heavy cheap-looking forks and aren't satisfied... I dunno where the value in this is versus just spending a bit more money to get something decent in the first place.

Not dissatisfied, just find it interesting. I like using re-using old bits if I can and avoiding splashing out on big names for the sake of it, though that sometimes brings me into murky territory re. BSOs.

It'll be £8 if I go with the recycled ones, as I have the receipt for the others, and already own spray paint and sandpaper, which is about £60 less than some new Surlys. Plus, I'll have the satisfaction of having rescued a dead bit of bike. Maybe it's pedantic to antagonise over a few cheap bits when I could have spent more and have been out riding all day rather than literally watching paint dry, but it's raining and well, isn't that what the internet's for? :)

I get the satisfaction of rescuing old bike stuff, I've saved lots of bikes from scrap heap at my local co-op. Most of the BSO stuff is built heavy and usually sees a lot of abuse so I wouldn't worry about riding it, but for my own stuff I don't mind buying quality stuff, especially if it's a lighter and stronger.

So long as someone with experience thinks they're safe... Think I'll try the used ones for the British winter and make sure the stem edges aren't right on the worst of the pitting. And scare off the Butterfly bar/Brompton brigade with my coolness. Then put some money in the piggy bank for some disc-ready w.canti mounts for next summer.