tell me again why a carbon fork is better than steel????

[mimitabby]

I went out for my second ride on my new bike which has steel forks.
They are heavier than carbon. YES. BUT they also damp a lot of the road vibration!!! it's delightful. (I don't get it!)

Any physicist (not me) could explain why the weight of the forks would
deaden the vibration of the road... right?
no??

well it does.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Any physicist (not me) could explain why the weight of the forks would
deaden the vibration of the road... right?

Why assume that it's the WEIGHT that deadens the vibration? Maybe it's the flexibility of the steel that does it....or some other factor.

[Torrilin]

Carbon fiber is a composite material (meaning it's made up of all kinds of stuff, and they talk about the carbon fiber because it's expensive). In model airplanes, I've seen carbon fiber used as part of the fuselage, as a way of adding tensile strength to butt joints, as engine mounts, as propellers... the list goes on and on. In every single use, the "carbon fiber" material behaves differently. Sometimes it has great compressive strength, sometimes it has great tensile strength, sometimes it handles heavy vibrating loads well, other times it fails in moments under those loads...

So a carbon fork could be doing any one of a number of things for the bike, and you don't know what is intended unless the manufacturer gives you *good* specs. Bike descriptions online often make it sound like they're going for the feel of a steel fork but with lighter weight. That doesn't mean that's what you'll actually get tho, unless they've got very good engineers. And well, good materials science types are Not Cheap. Neither is getting consistent results out of a composite.

[Triskeliongirl]

I told you this before Mimi. I am more comfy (and faster) on my reynolds 853steel bike with custom steel fork, than on my *heavier* titanium bike with carbon fork. You are more comfortable because this bike FITs you better, you are more balanced on it. With a custom fork the handling can be fine tuned, you aren't dependent on a stock fork that may not give the bike the handling characteristics that your frame builder wanted you to have. With steel you can also carry stuff too if you want (and asked for rack eyelets).

[mimitabby]

I told you this before Mimi. I am more comfy (and faster) on my reynolds 853steel bike with custom steel fork, than on my *heavier* titanium bike with carbon fork. You are more comfortable because this bike FITs you better, you are more balanced on it. With a custom fork the handling can be fine tuned, you aren't dependent on a stock fork that may not give the bike the handling characteristics that your frame builder wanted you to have. With steel you can also carry stuff too if you want (and asked for rack eyelets).

oh Trisk, I have eyelets!

[Triskeliongirl]

TYPO, I meant to say my lighter titanium bike. Yeh, my steel bike, with s/s couplers weighs 2 pounds more than my titanium carbon bike, but I am FASTER on it. Its not just about the weight, its about the fit, the comfort, the weight distribution, etc. I am so happy for you Mimi, that is all worked out after all that you went through with that mondonicco. This bike does everything you want it to, its the color you wnat, and it fits you like a glove cuz it was made just for you. ENJOY!!

[Eden]

Both carbon and steel are good at dampening road vibrations! Some of it has to do with the materials, some has to do with the design. A well designed steel fork can be dampening and very light (Reynolds Superlight tubing can produce a very, very light steel bike), a poorly designed steel fork can be heavy and/or harsh, same goes for carbon fiber or even aluminium - though it's pretty hard to build a plush alu bike I have heard of it being done....

Oh - and putting carbon forks on an aluminum bike will take away some of the harshness, but it will never make it as comfy as a full steel or full carbon bike.