Serotta carbon/steel threaded 1" fork question:

[Lewis Moon]

My '99 Atlanta came with a Serotta carbon/steel threaded 1" fork. While I'm absolutely tickled pink with the bike as a whole, it seems that the fork is rather stiff and rattles me a bit on bumpy roads; more so than my Felt F2, but less than my x-Night. I'm running 25mm Rubino Pro III tires (150 tpi) at ~90 psi. I'd rather not run them any lower at my weight and they seem to suffer a bit more rolling resistance at lower PSI.
My question is: would one of the more modern, all carbon 1" threadless forks give a bit better ride up front?

[rwsaunders]

Sometimes wheels/tires can make a bigger difference than a fork. What wheels are you running? Also, don't discount the benefits of a steel fork vs carbon.

[Lewis Moon]

Sometimes wheels/tires can make a bigger difference than a fork. What wheels are you running? Also, don't discount the benefits of a steel fork vs carbon.

I've had these wheels forever, on five different frames: XR300s to Sapim Lasers to BHS hubs. Never really had this issue before.

[oldpotatoe]

My '99 Atlanta came with a Serotta carbon/steel threaded 1" fork. While I'm absolutely tickled pink with the bike as a whole, it seems that the fork is rather stiff and rattles me a bit on bumpy roads; more so than my Felt F2, but less than my x-Night. I'm running 25mm Rubino Pro III tires (150 tpi) at ~90 psi. I'd rather not run them any lower at my weight and they seem to suffer a bit more rolling resistance at lower PSI.
My question is: would one of the more modern, all carbon 1" threadless forks give a bit better ride up front?

The only 'disadvantage' to a well made steel fork is weight. Hard to beat the ride of a great steel fork, I put one on my Moots. Plus not a lot of all carbon 1 inch forks out there.

[Lewis Moon]

The only 'disadvantage' to a well made steel fork is weight. Hard to beat the ride of a great steel fork, I put one on my Moots. Plus not a lot of all carbon 1 inch forks out there.

I may have to do that. I'm not as obsessive about weight since I gave up the insane notion that, at 6'5" and 185lbs, I might be able to mold myself into a climber w/o going "full Lance".

[Mzilliox]

riding the same fork and setup. rode it for a bit with older mavic wheels. ride was a bit softer, more forgiving. now riding pacenti sl23 hubs, same tires, rides a bit more harsh on the bumps, but speed went up. if you had an extra set of wheels? i have also considered a steel fork on mine.

[jet sanchez]

Hard to beat a fork that was designed to be the mate to a specific frame....maybe find a fork with a carbon fibre steerer?

I have a Colorado II that came with a carbon fibre Profile Julie RC fork that is nice but I've been on the hunt for a steel Serotta fork for awhile now, if anyone has a lead on one, please let me know.*





*sorry for the OT input but I want to get my Seroota repainted and would love to get a matching fork for it before painting

[DRZRM]

There are a handful of Serotta F-3 full carbon forks out there with 1" steerers, I have an 8.5 on my Legend, but they were hard to find when Serotta was still open. This was a great replacement for the F-1 that came with the frame. At least a pound lighter but the ride feels just right.

There are a few other 1" carbon forks available out there (I think there were Easton, Ritchey, and Columbus IIRC). I've never ridden one, but folks have posted about good experiences.

[Ken Robb]

I think you are describing a Serotta F-1 fork like the one I had on my CSi. I think I recall that Ben had it designed so the ride closely matched that of his lugged steel forks. I guess F-1 forks may have damped vibration a bit more vs. the steel forks but the F-1 with a steel steerer were/are heavy so I doubt there was much weight saved.

[Hilltopperny]

I owned the atlanta with the f1 fork and loved the ride but I am only 5'9" and 200 lbs. I know it was a bit heavy but it always felt very stable and soaked up the rough stuff well. I have the 02 fork on my csi that certainly feels stiffer and a carbon serotta fork on my concours that isn't quite as stiff. I do love a proper steel fork more than any of the above mentioned forks for sure.

[PETER REID]

Rubino Pro tires are cheap. I would upgrade to a quality tire like a Schwalbe Durano or One in the same size. I also have Schwalbe Ironman tires to sell in 700x22c in black or white. These tires are comparable to the One's at a fraction of the price. PM me for more information.

[jzisk]

Maybe a new thread, but the 1" Columbus Minimal full carbon fork is great-- agile and not too stiff.

[Pierre]

If you are looking to save weight, go for the full carbon fork however I'm not sure that will do much for the vibrations. Maybe a full carbon bar instead?
If you were keen on keeping this bike for a while, I'd be tempted to change the cockpit up and go threadless. That will give you more options as far as mixing and matching.