Carbon vs Steel Fork

[Triskeliongirl]

Help me ladies. Ever since my bike friday was stolen I've been plucking down $200 in airline fees to take a trip. Recently I picked up a never been built 2003 reynolds 853 steel terry isis for a song on ebay. I plan to install S and S couplers and build it up as a travel bike. However, I ran into a snag finding a suitable fork. Its a 24" front wheel, so my two choices are waiting for Georgena's new order of carbon forks to arrive early next year, or have the frame builder that is going to install the couplers make me a custom steel fork. He told me the weight difference will only be ~4 ounces. While I was planning to go with carbon, since the idea is to have a go fast bike that travels rather than touring bike, does it make more sense to go with steel since I could get it done sooner and stop paying airline fees, and that steel is more robust for traveling? Is carbon really make for a smoother ride? Would I notice a 4 ounce weight difference? To me, my titanium Isis with carbon fork is just as comfy as my all steel classic, but the ti isis weighs less and has a racier geometry, so feels racier to ride. Steel is Real, right?

[KnottedYet]

Four ounces is the equivalent of 1/2 cup or so of water.

So, if you pee before you ride, it'll be like riding carbon?

Steel is real and steel is ready, I'd go with steel. (but I like steel, so take my advice with a grain of salt.)

[velogirl]

Steel forks are more stable and corner and descend better than carbon. Yup, I'm a carbon sl#t just like the next girl -- got em on almost all my bikes. But I believe in the value of steel. And the weight is just about nothing. Some folks will tell you that carbon will dampen road noise, but a good steel fork will do just fine.

[Triskeliongirl]

Steel forks are more stable and corner and descend better than carbon. Yup, I'm a carbon sl#t just like the next girl -- got em on almost all my bikes. But I believe in the value of steel. And the weight is just about nothing. Some folks will tell you that carbon will dampen road noise, but a good steel fork will do just fine.

Wow, I have never heard that. How do you know this velogirl? Everything I read said that carbon would dampen road shock better than steel. Regarding weight, what the frame builder told me was that sure, some carbon forks are gonna be a lot lighter than some steel forks, but since I am comparing a stock carbon fork with aluminum steerer to his custom steel fork, the weight difference is small. I forgot to ask him though, that if a carbon fork has an aluminum steerer, what does a steel one have, steel or aluminum, cuz I know aluminum can be harsh. I unerstand why folks put a carbon fork on an aluminum bike, but am not sure then why they are so popular on steel bikes.

Another question, while I am not building this to be a 'touring bike' but it might nice to have the versatility to carry stuff if the need arises. This bike does have eyelets for a rear rack, and obviously if I went steel on the fork I could have it built with eyelets too. But, it takes side pull not canti brakes. Do you know if I can put med or long reach sidepulls on to use wider tires, or is that something that the frame has to have been built to handle (they are usually built up with a standard ultegra kit)? I have no interest in fenders. I guess I can just see if the wheel/tire from my touring bike physically fits in the frame as a first step. I am also curious about the frame geometry. My touring bike has a 73 STA, 71.5 HTA while this bike has a 73 STA and 72 HTA. Would that make it less stable if I wanted to use it for occasional touring?

[KnottedYet]

Seems like most of the carbon forks I was reading about a while ago had steel steerers.

My aluminum bike has a steel fork. (and my steel bike has a steel fork )

I rode an all-carbon road bike, and honestly I felt more road vibration than I did on the steel bikes I was testing. But that puppy was SO LIGHT.

Edit: I don't know much about geometry, but it seems that half a degree difference in an angle wouldn't make a huge change. If you think it will mess you up, could you ask your fork-builder to build a smidge more trail into your new fork?

[mimitabby]

how much does a custom steel fork cost??
A friend of ours went to the bike expo (sorry, i forget the name of it) last week.
he gave a report to our bike club and all he could talk about was the new carbon stuff.

steel is real. In 20 years, which bikes will people be buying? will our carbon ones even still be around?

I was in a prestigious bike shop a couple months ago trying to get a fork replacement. I went in wanting steel and 3 or 4 sales persons ganged up on me and talked me into getting carbon (which incidentally is really hard to put fenders on) and so I'll never know!

would steel have been better? i was told that it would be really hard on my hands. but who knows.

[DebW]

I forgot to ask him though, that if a carbon fork has an aluminum steerer, what does a steel one have, steel or aluminum, cuz I know aluminum can be harsh.

A steel fork would have a steel steerer.

Another question, while I am not building this to be a 'touring bike' but it might nice to have the versatility to carry stuff if the need arises. This bike does have eyelets for a rear rack, and obviously if I went steel on the fork I could have it built with eyelets too. But, it takes side pull not canti brakes. Do you know if I can put med or long reach sidepulls on to use wider tires, or is that something that the frame has to have been built to handle (they are usually built up with a standard ultegra kit)? I have no interest in fenders. I guess I can just see if the wheel/tire from my touring bike physically fits in the frame as a first step. I am also curious about the frame geometry. My touring bike has a 73 STA, 71.5 HTA while this bike has a 73 STA and 72 HTA. Would that make it less stable if I wanted to use it for occasional touring?

Why not get your steel fork built with rack eyelets and enough clearance for touring tires and maybe canti bosses? Assuming the rear touring tire also has enough clearance. I'm a believer in front panniers and balancing the bike front/rear even if you're not carrying all that much. It helps with the handling. Your frame builder can help you get the geometry right for your needs. Wheelbase, fork rake, HTA, trail all work together.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thnaks these are all great suggestions. What I have been struggling with is that I want a bike that does it all since this will be my only travel bike. Sure, most of the time I just wanna go somewhere, and do loops of fast riding from a central location, but other times I may want to tour. What I still don't understand, is how I might expect these 2 frames to handle with a load, given that one bike was built for touring (classic) and one for racing (isis). My 19" terry isis has a 73 degree STA, 72 degree HTA, 16.7" chainstay and 38.2" wheelbase while my 17.5" terry classic has a 73 degree STA, 71.5 degree HTA, 16.9" chainstay and 38.2" wheelbase. Both bakes have the same trail, cuz while Isis has a fork rake of 1.9" Classic has a fork rake of 2). The other big difference is the classic has cantilver brakes so accepts fenders and wider tires. What I don't get is whether Classic is more suitable for touring becasue of the cantilver brakes, fenders and wider tire features, or the subtle difference in frame geomety. What I know from riding the 2 bikes I have (I already have a ti isis with carbon fork, and I just bought a steel isis frame to build as a travel bike) is that the classic feels more sluggish than the isis, even when outfitted with identical wheels/tires. Is that cuz it weighs more (my classic is much heavier than the new steel isis or old ti isis by several 3-4 lb) or the frame geometry. Cuz if its just the weight, then I really like the idea of having the new fork built to accept a front rack an cantilever brakes, obviously with the 1.9" right rake to give the right trail for the 72 degree STA. If I think this bike could REPLACE my classic which is rusting, I could just transfer the cantilever brakes from her as well as all the other parts). But if I am still gonna need a real touring bike, I don't wanna do that. I did check and could fit a wheel with a 32 wide touring tire in the new isis frame, but there wouldn't be much room to mount side pull brakes but my cantis would fit.