Which fork?

[SadieKate]

I knew she was thinking about it. JuniorRacerBoy (jobob know's who that is) was similarly floored when the subject was broached.

[lunacycles]

When I talked to Tom Kellogg about my Spectrum, the thing that most concerned me was the comfort of fork - what vibrations would I feel in my hands. Carbon can be made horribly stiff for us smaller folks.

This is very true. Unfortunately, it is hard for the consumer to control. But, generally (very generally) speaking, the lighter carbon forks will ride nicer and be less "overbuilt" for lighter people.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ooooh....that's what I have on my custom Luna- the Reynolds Ouzo Pro.

Margo, am I remembering wrong or did that particular fork would allow for a wider tire than some other carbon forks do? (I have 700x25's) Or maybe it was just that you said if I used a carbon fork I would not be able to fit tires wider than 25's ? Trying to remember that fuzzy detail....

[lunacycles]

Lisa, my memory is fuzzy too (especially at the end of a Friday), but iirc you were initially considering running a wider tire than 25c, and I thought that could be problematic depending on the fork chosen. I think most carbon forks can handle 25c fine, but going larger (as the next larger width is usually 30c) would likely be problematic.

I am glad I snatched up a pile of 650c Ouzo Pro's last year, enough for at least a year or two, as finding a nice carbon fork that isn't extremely "aero" (and super stiff) is getting harder and harder. Fortunately, there will probably always be a good variety of 700c offerings, or at least we can hope

[indysteel]

Thanks for all the great information. Just a few more points/questions:

Jobob, there are still some Ouzo Pros to be had online, especially with a 43 rake, if you can go that route with Lynskey.

I'd love to use the Edge Composite fork. I've read nothing but rave reviews, but they don't come in a 44 or 45 rake. Boo hoo!

SadieKate, what fork did you end up with?

Margo, what is considered light as far as carbon goes? The Alpha Q weighs in at 345 grams I think.

[SadieKate]

SadieKate, what fork did you end up with?

The Reynolds UL.

[lunacycles]

Margo, what is considered light as far as carbon goes? The Alpha Q weighs in at 345 grams I think.

I hate to say it but I haven't compared carbon fork weights for a fair amount of time. Last time I did, Reynolds and Easton offered the lightest options.

I have the earlier version of the Reynolds Ouzo Pro UL on my road bike (same fork, more or less, but has a matte finish), and it rides very nice.

I haven't gotten involved much with True Temper as far as forks go, but their reputation is good amongst builders. The sleeve you have to bond inside of the steerer (I am not sure that is still the case) was a turn off for me at the time. Plus, at the time I was comparing, they didn't offer any decent 650c options, which is important for me too.

You know, 43mm of rake is still verrrrry close to 45. If you can get an Edge fork in that configuration and you are okay with the aesthetics, you may be happier with that over the TT in 44mm.