"the world's first gravel fork"

[glepore]

Originally Posted by .RJ

80? I thought they were 30.

I would love to read how this new fork compares to the lefty oliver.

my bad, you're correct

[dddd]

As far as the fork travel, that sounds like plenty for a drop-bar bike, any more would mostly be annoying except when descending rough trails.

I've ridden through this early spring on a cheap hybrid with a very short-travel SR-Suntour fork and some 1.9" tires that I fitted, and the 40mm suspension travel is very much appreciated even without having any damper (spring only)!




$1k suspension units scare me off, but I am not the target for the CC fork.
And given the likely high parts costs and vulnerability of the stanchion tube surfaces, they should incorporate rubber gaiters or at least offer a well-designed pair as an option.

The old Rockshox P-R forks had very limited air-sprung travel but ate up typical bumps in the road nicely, so I appreciate that newer lightweight minimalist designs are being made available for drop-bar bikes, it's about time.

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by spoonrobot

What gravel suspension forks have you ridden? 30-40mm in a modern fork is so much different than it was decades ago. We learned a lot back then that has been overtaken by events, or in many cases was untrue.

How much different is it really? 40mm of undamped travel versus 60mm of oil damped, air travel.

What is different is the average rider has gone from 145 lbs to 200lbs. As a people, we have gotten fat - and stupid.

Everything old is new again. Even Fox's new 32mm, reverse arched, spring backed IFP piston fork - is basically a Manitou with an Intrinsic damper from 2005.

What I don't doubt is that the new stuff is much better made.

[StressStrain]

I look forward to other innovative world firsts like:

first spoked wheel
first pickleball paddle
first alcoholic seltzer
first avocado toast

[Talrand]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How much different is it really? 40mm of undamped travel versus 60mm of oil damped, air travel.

What is different is the average rider has gone from 145 lbs to 200lbs. As a people, we have gotten fat - and stupid.

[...]

Oh good, another amateur philosopher watched Idiocracy for the first time

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by spoonrobot

Like half the field at Paris-Roubaix was on Rockshoxs after Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle won in 1992 but they were falling out of favor by the mid-1990s. Rockshox had a good run, 3 wins, several podiums, hundreds of forks used by the peloton before time marched on.



Hincapie's relationship with Paris-Roubaix is one of the small tradgedies of modern cycling. So close but never there. I believe this is his first race there, in 1994 when Andrei Tchmil won, also using a rockshox.

Such great pics and stories.

Yeah, there’s nothing new under the sun. I’m also of the mindset that if a course needs suspension it’s likely time for mountain bike. But everyone has to ride what works best for them.

The coolest of the suspended road bikes were the Bianchi dual suspension bikes at Paris-Roubaix from about 30 years ago. They didn’t win and a few years later the same riders were winning on Colnago C-40s with no suspension.

[steelrimbrake]

Agree with others, thought of Lauf right away...

[vespasianus]

Originally Posted by Talrand

Oh good, another amateur philosopher watched Idiocracy for the first time

50% of my point. What do you weigh?

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by Talrand

Oh good, another amateur philosopher watched Idiocracy for the first time

Agree.
There is a time and a place for talking about the decline of modern man. A cycling forum post about gravel suspension is not it

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

50% of my point. What do you weigh?

Give it a rest or take it to Reddit

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How much different is it really? 40mm of undamped travel versus 60mm of oil damped, air travel.

What is different is the average rider has gone from 145 lbs to 200lbs. As a people, we have gotten fat - and stupid.

Everything old is new again. Even Fox's new 32mm, reverse arched, spring backed IFP piston fork - is basically a Manitou with an Intrinsic damper from 2005.

What I don't doubt is that the new stuff is much better made.

When was the average weight for all adult cyclists 145 pounds?
I am not saying you are wrong because I admittedly have 0 idea what the average weight for all adult cyclists was at any point in history, but 145 pounds just seems so far from current reality that it is difficult to even conceptualize.

[Mark McM]

Question: Is this fork intended for aftermarket sales, or are gravel bike makers designing around (this or other) short travel suspension forks? Even a short travel suspension fork is substantially taller than a rigid fork, and retrofitting one in place of a rigid fork will result in a significant change in the geometry, and therefore the fit and handling, of a gravel bike.

[spoonrobot]

Originally Posted by vespasianus

How much different is it really? 40mm of undamped travel versus 60mm of oil damped, air travel.

What is different is the average rider has gone from 145 lbs to 200lbs. As a people, we have gotten fat - and stupid.

Everything old is new again. Even Fox's new 32mm, reverse arched, spring backed IFP piston fork - is basically a Manitou with an Intrinsic damper from 2005.

What I don't doubt is that the new stuff is much better made.

Lack of an oil damper is not equivalent to "undamped". The fork has an air-damper as well as internal damping from the seals and inertia damping from the entire structure.

In addition a modern fork has the benefit of straighter stanchions that are more concentric with significantly better surface treatments. The rubber in seals and rings is better, the air chambers and pathways are designed following more applicable theory and spring curve tuning the same.

A Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed is basically a Continental Gatorskin with slightly thinner rubber -> This isn't logical framing for the discussion.

[mstateglfr]

Originally Posted by Talrand

Oh good, another amateur philosopher watched Idiocracy for the first time

I am convinced that generalized referencing of Idiocracy is the modern version of generalized referencing 1984 in prior decades.

[spoonrobot]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Question: Is this fork intended for aftermarket sales, or are gravel bike makers designing around (this or other) short travel suspension forks? Even a short travel suspension fork is substantially taller than a rigid fork, and retrofitting one in place of a rigid fork will result in a significant change in the geometry, and therefore the fit and handling, of a gravel bike.

Canyon, Santa Cruz, and State (which means open mold) - off the top of my head are some mfgs designing with gravel forks in mind, I'm sure there are others. Canyon has had a gravel suspension bike in the market for several years.

Right now the industry loves slacker and more stability. End users seem to downplay the differences. The first time I rode a gravel fork on a frame designed without intent for it I was pretty blown away by the handling difference but the owner was nonchalant and said he hardly noticed anything.

I mean look at how regular Joes struggle to talk about trail - changing that along with reach etc, while also adding suspension is a lot to internalize and structure mentally to discuss with someone else. For most riders it's probably going to be a good thing anyway.

There does seem to be indications fork height is increasing. For "normal" rigid fork designs 395-400 atc is becoming less common with more forks 410+. Tire clearance and fork compatibility both benefits.