Steel Fork with Ti Steerer Tube?

[93legendti]

I am curious, I know there were a few F1's made with a ti steerer tube and Kestrel did a fork with a ti steerer tube...does anyone make a steel fork with a ti steerer tube?

[Blue Jays]

Not certain that I see any market demand when steel forks with steel steerers are such a pleasure.

[Fixed]

you might be able to find a ti fork
cheers

[David Kirk]

A Ti steerer is a bad idea. They are VERY flexy. In fact a TI steerer would need to be nearly solid rod to be as stiff as a normal steel steerer. Hard braking with a Ti steerer is "interesting".

Dave

[93legendti]

Not certain that I see any market demand when steel forks with steel steerers are such a pleasure.
I was holding the ti seat mast Bike Friday in my left hand and the steel seat mast for my Bike Friday in my right hand. The weight difference is ~1 pound.

I know there probably isn't a demand, but a fellow can dream... :)

[93legendti]

A Ti steerer is a bad idea. They are VERY flexy. In fact a TI steerer would need to be nearly solid rod to be as stiff as a normal steel steerer. Hard braking with a Ti steerer is "interesting".

Dave

OK, you had me at "A.."

[keevon]

A Ti steerer is a bad idea. They are VERY flexy. In fact a TI steerer would need to be nearly solid rod to be as stiff as a normal steel steerer. Hard braking with a Ti steerer is "interesting".

Dave

So why is AL okay for steerers? Steel > titanium > aluminum in terms of stiffness, no?

My two forks with AL steerers, while admittedly thicker than my steel steerer, are nowhere near 'solid rod'.

[David Kirk]

So why is AL okay for steerers? Steel > titanium > aluminum in terms of stiffness, no?

My two forks with AL steerers, while admittedly thicker than my steel steerer, are nowhere near 'solid rod'.

AL is much stiffer than Ti. Two pipe with the same dimensions, one Ti and the AL will weight almost the same but the AL will be much stiffer.

The issue with AL is one of fatigue resistance. If you allow it to flex much it will break in time. Ti has an almost infinite fatigue cycle.


Steerers moved from 1" to 1 1/8" for the most part so that AL could be used. The larger diameter reduces the steerer flex to the point where there are few failures.

Time to heat up some metal here -

Dave

[dvancleve]

I had a Hampsten that came with an Alpha Q fork with a 1" Ti steerer. I am certainly not going to argue with the likes of Dave Kirk, but I never noticed anything amiss riding it and I am heavy. OTOH, companies stopped offering 1" Ti steerers and there is probably a reason for it...

Doug

[keevon]

AL is much stiffer than Ti. Two pipe with the same dimensions, one Ti and the AL will weight almost the same but the AL will be much stiffer.

When did the modulus of elasticity for 3/2.5 titanium and aluminum change?

Seems like only yesterday titanium had the higher modulus... :rolleyes: