Carbon Fork Recommendation: Easton EC70, Ritchey Carbon Comp, Other?

[ColonelJLloyd]

I'm building up a new 60cm Soma Smoothie and would like to use a carbon fork. The frame is designed around a fork with 43mm rake. I don't want to break the bank and my research points to the Ritchey Carbon comp and Easton EC70. Any opinions on either? Is there another I should consider?

[cmg]

had them both, i'm over 180 lbs and i thought the easton fork was flexy. it would back up under hard front wheel bracking. liked the Ritchey Carbon comp much better, lighter and felt strong, very little flex.

[JayBay]

Wound-Up. I love mine - the steel steerer tube is key on a long head-tube bike.

[eBAUMANN]

whats your budget? id try to find a lightly used/nicely priced edge/enve fork...

[ColonelJLloyd]

I'm 200lbs right now and need to be about 175lbs. I got a good buy on a Ritchey Comp for $100, but the steerer is only long enough to mount a stem and I could use a little more so I was thinking of selling it and getting a fork with a full 300mm steerer. This greatly decreases to potential pool of used forks. I'd like to spend no more than $175.

The Wound Up looks like a nice fork, but I don't like the looks of it for this build. I want a fork with some curve.

[rnhood]

Wound Up is a good stiff fork and its very reliable.

[cmg]

whats your budget? id try to find a lightly used/nicely priced edge/enve fork...

good plan but a rare occurance on eBay. same with a 3t fork. as long as your looking for a 43mm rake it might be doable.

[Ralph]

I'm having a custom steel frame built by Jonathan Greene (Cycles). I thought he was going to use a WCS Ritchey CF fork.....which was OK with me since I use their WCS seat posts and bars and stem and think they make great products, but instead he decided to use an Enve. I got to see it before painting. Beautiful fork, incredible workmanship. Super Light also. I'm happy.

[MattyMo]

if money is no concern, go edge/enve composites

or from extensive research wound up seems to be excellent choice.

[oldpotatoe]

I'm building up a new 60cm Soma Smoothie and would like to use a carbon fork. The frame is designed around a fork with 43mm rake. I don't want to break the bank and my research points to the Ritchey Carbon comp and Easton EC70. Any opinions on either? Is there another I should consider?

Ritchey is a great fork...Enve also for more $.

Just me, but I would be leary of a used carbon fork...just don't know it's history...

[druptight]

I've been riding an Easton EC70SL (full carbon steerer) for a couple years now on my lugged steel bike and have had no issues. I tip the scales at 190ish usually. Got a great closeout on it for $99, not sure if you can still find them around or not.

[Suctionprints]

The bike's designed around the IRD Mosaic fork, which is a nice fork -- I'd go with that.

[RedRider]

The fork is such a decisive factor in handling,safety and thus enjoyment of a bicycle that it's the last place I would look to save money...there are others. I would argue against any used fork, carbon or steel, regardless of source. Select a new fork appropriate for your frame not only in size but quality.

[Lewis Moon]

A lister here gave me a nice deal on an Alpha Q Z-pro. It has a thicker carbon steering tube. This cleared up the "head shakes" my frame had due to the super light generic carbon fork that was spec'd on it. I can't say enough good about this fork.

[ColonelJLloyd]

The fork is such a decisive factor in handling,safety and thus enjoyment of a bicycle that it's the last place I would look to save money...there are others. I would argue against any used fork, carbon or steel, regardless of source. Select a new fork appropriate for your frame not only in size but quality.

I understand the apprehension regarding used carbon forks, but it just seems silly to me that a fork someone put a couple hundred miles on and switched out should be destined for the trash.

I ride and have owned many vintage bikes with steel forks of none of which I was the original owner. Not using a steel fork because I wasn't the original purchaser just doesn't compute with me.

I just can't get past the looks of the Wound Up fork and think it would look terrible on the Smoothie.

I don't know that the Smoothie was really designed around the IRD Mosiac. The frame is sold without a fork and the distributor (Merry Sales) sells Tange Prestige steel, Tange Prestige carbon and IRD Mosaic carbon forks they recommend with the frame. So long as the rake and axle-to-crown length are the same I don't see how one fork is any more appropriate than another.

[ultraman6970]

Many times the fork blades arent like a big deal but the steering tube is.

Many years ago, a few manufacturers used to put kevlar steering tubes and eventhought the forks were insanely light and dampen vibration really well, for riders over 170 pounds the forks felt flimsy and noisy as hell because the steering tube was flexing big time.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Carbon forks are new to me so I'm ignorant to a lot of the quirks, I guess. I haven't considered steerer flex. I thought the use of steel, aluminum or carbon steerers was generally chosen for weight. I mean, if you have a quality, correctly installed and adjusted headset, I don't see why steerer flex should be an issue and that a longer steerer (within reason) would be more secure than a short one.

[d14vd_h]

Alpha Q especially for cross
Enve / Edge for road for sure

[oldpotatoe]

I understand the apprehension regarding used carbon forks, but it just seems silly to me that a fork someone put a couple hundred miles on and switched out should be destined for the trash.

I ride and have owned many vintage bikes with steel forks of none of which I was the original owner. Not using a steel fork because I wasn't the original purchaser just doesn't compute with me.

I just can't get past the looks of the Wound Up fork and think it would look terrible on the Smoothie.

I don't know that the Smoothie was really designed around the IRD Mosiac. The frame is sold without a fork and the distributor (Merry Sales) sells Tange Prestige steel, Tange Prestige carbon and IRD Mosaic carbon forks they recommend with the frame. So long as the rake and axle-to-crown length are the same I don't see how one fork is any more appropriate than another.

Without a 'show me the 'fork-fax", on a carbon fork..ya know, it's your teeth but I wouldn't buy a used carbon fork.

[ColonelJLloyd]

. . . I wouldn't buy a used carbon fork.

I'd hope not. You own a bike shop. ;)

I won a Ritchey Carbon Pro (http://www.ebay.com/itm/161049451353?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649) with a full steerer yesterday.

I'd still like some clarification on this notion of steerer flex from someone. Sure seems to me a taller steerer/headtube would be more stable than a shorter one.