Alloy steerer on a carbon fork, turn off?
 

Would you consider an alloy steerer on a tapered carbon fork for a mid reach brake, or would you consider the alloy steerer “cheapening out” ? This is for our Ti rim brake road frame.

Yes this is a market research question, no I won’t be paying you for your input :)

I prefer steel forks for my mid-reach bikes.
What fork are you looking at ? Bontrager ?

I have 2 carbon forks with aluminum steer tubes. Not an issue. IMO, for some set ups and uses, an alloy steer tube is probably a better choice.
Usually, weight is a definite factor in choosing. I do not think carbon forks with carbon steer tubes are purchased because getting aluminum is "cheaping out". But, I am sure there are people that will buy the cheaper one, regardless. Once everything is mounted on the bike, who else would know?

Sorry should have been more clear, this is for our Ti rim brake road frame. We are looking to have a new fork design made as we are running into sourcing issues with our old design.

If price difference isn't huge full carbon steerer does speak to a "nicer" fork these days. My '00s LeMond has a n Alloy steerer and my Fuji had one not much of a perceived difference in feel but my brain says I'd prefer full carbon if given a choice.

My Warbird has an alloy steerer and I never think about it. I don't think people outside of Paceline-types will care one bit.

An alloy steerer can often get your handlebars up higher, if that's a potential issue for your customers. (Some carbon steerers are okay with lots of space between the top of the headset and the stem, but many are not supposed to be used that way.) The lighter carbon steerers, the ones usually subject to the limitation that I'm talking about, might save ... an ounce?

That's not really important to me. I would imagine that the riders that that is important to are probably riding a carbon frame rather than a Ti frame.

I take no responsibility for business recommendations that I'm not paid for, though. ;)

I had a 59cm Litespeed Natchez with a 1" Ouzo Pro all-carbon fork. I wanted to raise my bars more than I could with the limited number of spacers allowed above the top of the head tube so I traded the Pro for an Ouzo Comp which had an alloy steerer and I couldn't feel ANY difference even though I was using a much longer steerer. To avoid using many spacers I went to a commercial supplier of tubing and bought a length of alloy tubing of the appropriate diameter to use in lieu of multiple standard fork spacers. This entire project was an unqualified success. Of course the next bunch of bikes I bought were 60-62cm sizes so I never had to repeat this kluge. I don't remember how much weight change there might have been. Heck, I don't remember if I even weighed the bike before and after.

Alloy steerer on carbon fork is a dealbreaker for me. They're heavy and maybe the manufacturing has gotten better, but they have a history of failures at the bond between the alloy and carbon.

At the price point of a production titanium frame, I would want a full carbon fork. If we were talking steel bikes I could go either way.

I would prefer a full carbon fork for a ti bike. It connotes premium, in my opinion.

This totally. Either all steel if the bike is cheap or all carbon if the bike is expensive. At least for a rigid fork.

Safety safety safety. No bonds on an all carbon one piece fork. They are outrageously strong.

Whatever happened before this I'll never forget it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZg1vrvGbdE

I’d prefer carbon but it could be swayed by other spec’s and frame/fork cost.

Make it max out clearance under mid reach brakes, have fender mounts have it ride ok and not look too crummy I wouldn’t balk at an alloy steerer.

I will say I’m having a midreach ti travel frame being built by carver for an alpha q cs25 (that I wish fit bigger tires) currently so I’m totally the target demographic and I really question how many of these you will actually sell.

If I am buying a custom TI bike, I expect a full carbon fork. Its just seen as better, it is lighter, and at that total pricepoint the $100 or whatever saved really isnt a motivator.
And if its aluminum, why taper it?

Hot take- since this is a road frame, go with a metal straight steerer and wax poetically about how 1 1/8 straight steerers are more than stiff enough for drop bar bikes, so you spec'd this to ensure the frame is compliant and not overbuilt.
Be the industry leader(besides Ritchey) to push fork steerer size back.

While there are a couple of carbon forks that are made as a true monocoque, the vast majority of them are made in two parts (steer tube and fork blades) and bonded together. A carbon to carbon bond has proven to be more reliable than a metal to carbon. Especially when that metal isn't titanium. But the notion that carbon forks don't have a bonded steer isn't accurate.