new front fork advice please.
 

would this be a mad idea ,im thinking if it's possible to put carbon forks on my thorn sherpa.i will more than likely never use front panniers .and i think by going carbon up front it will give me a much lighter bike especially on the steering.
the only thing im worried about will a carbon fork upset the balance of the bike.
so if you guys think my idea is ok what fork would you recommend ,im looking for a reasonable priced fork.. remember the sherpa takes 599 wheels.:thumb:

To get lighter steering you'll have to reduce the trail of your front end. You can do that by using a new fork with more rake. I don't know if such a fork can be found in carbon. To prove to yourself that trail is more important than weight, go ride an MTB with a suspended fork: in spite of having a fork that's 4 to 5 lb heavy you'll notice that the steering on them is quite nimble.

Besides, a good steel fork weight 2 lb: you'll gain, at the very most 1 lb for a fork that will be solid but more brittle if submitted to an impact. Moreover the steel forks remain more comfortable on rough roads: carbon is good at dampening small amplitude vibrations but it is quite rigid and big bumps are transmitted quite readily into the hands up to the shoulders at speed.

Carbon forks are nice but don't expect big changes in steering if the axle stays in the same place relative to the fork you have. Lighter steering is a function of the front wheel and headset components as well as the fork design. If your current fork is raked and a new carbon fork is straight then you'll notice quicker steering but it won't be due to the fork material but rather it's because you've brought the axle position in line with the axis of steering rotation. Carbon has some benefits but carbon in itself won't be a hugely noticeable change and for the money you might be further ahead with an aluminum fork if you just want to save weight.

emm not looking good then.im not looking for a carbon fork with rack straight is what i want.
but is there a fork that will fit.all my riding will be on tarmac no rough stuff.
im really just curious about this if it can't be done it's no big deal.

I would think the biggest problem would be related to wheel size...

http://www.outsideoutfitters.com/ima...medium/954.jpghttp://www.outsideoutfitters.com/pm-...olid-fork.aspx

Here is a White Brothers fork for 26" wheels.

sjs cycles emailed me this morning and the good news is i have a choice of two carbon forks for my sherpa .
so i might just go ahead with the plan When i have the money.