Carbon track fork, rec?

[jmoore]

I want to swap the steel fork on my track bike to a carbon fork. This is not a fixie, it's a proper track bike I use at the Superdrome. I am ramping up my track riding for an event I'm doing next year and want to tweak the bike a bit.


I emailed the builder (Spicer) but want to get some rec's from here as well.


Well?

[eBAUMANN]

here's a good starting point (http://www.citygrounds.com/bike-forks#ordering=price-high-to-low)

obviously helps to know what axle to crown height the frame was designed for, and the required fork rake.

[ftf]

I want to swap the steel fork on my track bike to a carbon fork. This is not a fixie, it's a proper track bike I use at the Superdrome. I am ramping up my track riding for an event I'm doing next year and want to tweak the bike a bit.


I emailed the builder (Spicer) but want to get some rec's from here as well.


Well?

Alpina makes some nice ones. I use a reynolds, I don't think they make them anymore but this place seems to be selling them still: http://www.worldclasscycles.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=RPCFTF&Category_Code=

[jmoore]

here's a good starting point (http://www.citygrounds.com/bike-forks#ordering=price-high-to-low)

obviously helps to know what axle to crown height the frame was designed for, and the required fork rake.
I'll measure it all tonight.

It's a big bike. 64cm

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[11.4]

Most track forks in the market today are so-so. They won't break, but they aren't the stablest, especially for the Superdrome. Enve had a superb one and then stopped making it. I have one of the last ones on one of my frames and it's distinctively stiff and stable.

Alpina has a couple forks so be sure you get the right one. They have one with an alloy steer that sounds like old style funky, but for track, where you are swapping bars all the time between aero and drops, it's actually really good. It's probably the best fork out there among the dedicated track forks.

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/bike-components/bike-forks/alpina-ud-carbon-track-fork-gloss-with-brake-hole.html

This one is readily available, extremely well made, and may be preferable for time trial or endurance events:

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/bike-components/bike-forks/wing-pista-carbon-track-fork.html

These guys have some amazing forks and sell forks to riders on other frames than their own. However, do be careful because some of them have a little bit of fairing that you have to grind off before they fit a different bike. Great forks, though:

http://www.biketechnologies.com

Now in reality, there isn't much difference between a tight road fork and a track fork -- you can substitute a road fork pretty easily. That's what most of the more common high end track bikes on the track have done anyway. Just don't go to an extra-lightweight fork like an Enve 1.0 -- they don't handle as well on the track.

You may actually do better with a steel fork than going carbon. On the track, the bikes behave a little differently from on the road, and weight isn't as much of an issue. If you don't like the fork you have, Eric Estlund and Tom Kellogg can both build you a dedicated fork with just the handling and characteristics you prefer.

Those are my immediate thoughts. If you need any more direction or more suggestions, feel free to PM me.

[ftf]

Most track forks in the market today are so-so. They won't break, but they aren't the stablest, especially for the Superdrome. Enve had a superb one and then stopped making it. I have one of the last ones on one of my frames and it's distinctively stiff and stable.

Alpina has a couple forks so be sure you get the right one. They have one with an alloy steer that sounds like old style funky, but for track, where you are swapping bars all the time between aero and drops, it's actually really good. It's probably the best fork out there among the dedicated track forks.

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/bike-components/bike-forks/alpina-ud-carbon-track-fork-gloss-with-brake-hole.html

This one is readily available, extremely well made, and may be preferable for time trial or endurance events:

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/bike-components/bike-forks/wing-pista-carbon-track-fork.html

These guys have some amazing forks and sell forks to riders on other frames than their own. However, do be careful because some of them have a little bit of fairing that you have to grind off before they fit a different bike. Great forks, though:

http://www.biketechnologies.com

Now in reality, there isn't much difference between a tight road fork and a track fork -- you can substitute a road fork pretty easily. That's what most of the more common high end track bikes on the track have done anyway. Just don't go to an extra-lightweight fork like an Enve 1.0 -- they don't handle as well on the track.

You may actually do better with a steel fork than going carbon. On the track, the bikes behave a little differently from on the road, and weight isn't as much of an issue. If you don't like the fork you have, Eric Estlund and Tom Kellogg can both build you a dedicated fork with just the handling and characteristics you prefer.

Those are my immediate thoughts. If you need any more direction or more suggestions, feel free to PM me.

Enve stopped making them because they had some quality issues from what I hear with their track forks, you may want to keep an eye on yours.

[jmoore]

I'll measure it all tonight.

It's a big bike. 64cm

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

From Spicer: 365 axle to crown, 38 rake


He suggested a few forks but I'm going to look at some of the ones that are posted as well.


PS - I like those Alpina's! Thanks for the rec

[RFC]

I want to swap the steel fork on my track bike to a carbon fork. This is not a fixie, it's a proper track bike I use at the Superdrome. I am ramping up my track riding for an event I'm doing next year and want to tweak the bike a bit.


I emailed the builder (Spicer) but want to get some rec's from here as well.


Well?

Dallas, track racing, Superdrome . . . do you by chance know Jim Dolan, a 63-year-old racer?

[jmoore]

Dallas, track racing, Superdrome . . . do you by chance know Jim Dolan, a 63-year-old racer?

No. I haven't been on the track for a few years. I'm just getting back into it.