New Fork for Merckx Majestic

[foggypeake]

So, I've had my Merckx Majestic for while now, and while I liked it, I never loved it. I kept hearing about how stable the Merckx fit/geometry was, but to me, the bike handled like a truck. On fast, twisty descents, I was scared to death that I would ride off the road, as I could not steer fast enough.

Out of frustration, I searched and found this thread: http://forums.thepaceline.net/printt...?t=29455&pp=40

It made me think that I needed a different rake for my fork. I bought an Alpha Q GS-10 from cmg on this forum and the difference is like night and day. The bike has a much more nimble feel when steering, and it is a huge improvement.

A huge thank you to cmg for the great deal and advice. Here is my improved ride (sorry that the picture is so huge).

[thirdgenbird]

Great looking ride. The fork suits it nicely.

Front g3 lacing has never set well with me but that bike pulls it off.

[tv_vt]

That bar looks like it has a humongous drop. Is it comfortable for you?

Nice bike btw. I have a Merckx ti with an AQ fork myself.

[Peter P.]

I'm curious; what spec was different between the two forks that made the huge change in handling? What I'm really asking is, did you know the rakes of the two forks?

[cmg]

congrats, she looks good. yep, that's the fork for it. enjoy.....

[foggypeake]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

That bar looks like it has a humongous drop. Is it comfortable for you?

Nice bike btw. I have a Merckx ti with an AQ fork myself.

Thanks. The bars are 3ttt Forgie deep drop. I think that the drop measurement is 165mm. I've always ridden deep drop bars, so a shallow drop feels strange to me.

[foggypeake]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

I'm curious; what spec was different between the two forks that made the huge change in handling? What I'm really asking is, did you know the rakes of the two forks?

Yes, the original fork (Reynolds Ouzo Pro) was a 43mm rake. This Alpha Q is 50mm, which shortens the trail, which in turn makes the steering quicker.