Carbon fork = harshness?

[slowmotion]

Yes the road surface is the problem there's too much worn out tar and chip or buzmac as I've started calling it round here perhaps gel mitts might be worth a look.

Try some Specialized S-Wrap cork bar tape too. It's ludicrously expensive but quite comforting.

 

[cougie uk]

I bought a new Spa Audax frame with a carbon fibre fork earlier this year and mostly ridden it for short 2-3 hour rides or less, I have done two all day rides and on both occasions started to really notice the road buz and vibration through the frame to the point of finding it very wearing indeed, it has 28mm tyres at 55-60 psi so not too hard and is a good bit harsher than other 28mm shod steel frame bikes I have, the question is is this the fault of the carbon fork, are they known for being harsher than steel? the rest of the frame is Reynolds 725 and there was an option to choose a steel fork and now wondering if I should have done so.

You shouldn't be getting much buzz from that at those pressures.

You can get really stiff CF forks but I doubt they'd have been chosen for that bike.

I'd maybe look at changing the tyres or getting some cinelli gel pads for under the bars.

 

[ren531]

It doesn't sound like carbon has a bad reputation for harshness as such, this is my first experience with carbon in a bike frame so lots to learn, I am overall very pleased with the comfort and ride on short rides but I am being put off from using it all day. Going to try some of the above suggestions, experiment with different tyres, different bar tape and try slightly different bar positions.

 

[Venod]

I have, the question is is this the fault of the carbon fork,

I doubt the carbon fork will produce an harsh ride, one of my stand out memories from a lifetime of cycling is the first time I rode a carbon fork, I had only ridden steel forks up to that point, the first thing I noticed was I couldn't feel the road it felt odd but quickly became apparent it was far more comfortable.
I have one steel forked bike at the moment its not as comfortable as the four carbon forked frames I have, (three of them on disc brakes) one is a SPA Elan, its very smooth.

 

[T4tomo]

There is carbon and carbon, some frames / forks are better at absorbing vibrations than others, for example:
https://www.bianchi.com/bianchi-cv/ I imagine Spa's fork is a fairly basic carbon one, but that said carbon and steel in any form is better at soaking up vibrations than an aluminium fork.

Your 40 yr steel probably has quite a flexy and curved front fork which were good for damping vibrations, modern steel forks are made a bit stiffer. I think you are just experiencing a 40 year leap forward in manufacturer / consumer preference for slightly stiffer and therefore harsher frames / forks.

I think you're limited to 28mm tyres so cant do the extra tyre volume trick, but a double wrap of bar tape might help.

 

[ren531]

There is carbon and carbon, some frames / forks are better at absorbing vibrations than others, for example:
https://www.bianchi.com/bianchi-cv/ I imagine Spa's fork is a fairly basic carbon one, but that said carbon and steel in any form is better at soaking up vibrations than an aluminium fork.

Your 40 yr steel probably has quite a flexy and curved front fork which were good for damping vibrations, modern steel forks are made a bit stiffer. I think you are just experiencing a 40 year leap forward in manufacturer / consumer preference for slightly stiffer and therefore harsher frames / forks.

I think you're limited to 28mm tyres so cant do the extra tyre volume trick, but a double wrap of bar tape might help.

Your right about the jump forward to new , never ridden new narrow tyred bikes for decades so it is a learning curve.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Something is odd as carbon forks are the general default for most frame materials for the very reason that it dampens harsh rides. I wonder if there could another factor that is causing the issue. May a lose headset?

 

[ren531]

Something is odd as carbon forks are the general default for most frame materials for the very reason that it dampens harsh rides. I wonder if there could another factor that is causing the issue. May a lose headset?

Headsets fine, I think it is just that my default bikes are more practical machines and more often than not vintage practical machines too like old Raleigh roadsters lots of tyre lots of steel and it's probably me not used to the harder ride you get with these bikes and that others more used to new stuff perceive as normal.
Also the intension of this type of bike is to be ridden hard, I can ride it hard for an hour or two and that's when it's most comfortable, but out for the day I much prefer to plod along and take my time and this may be the problem as the less power going into the pedals the more weight goes on the other contact points.

 

[FishFright]

I'd put money on it being either tyre pressure to high or the tyre's stiff sidewalls.

A mate has the same frame / fork combo with conti 4k's and its smooth on the crappy lanes he mostly rides.

 

[vickster]

What are the tyres?

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'd put money on it being either tyre pressure to high or the tyre's stiff sidewalls.

^^This^^

And cheap inner tubes can be to blame too. There's a lot of bollocks talked about frame materials and ride comfort, the only things I've ever used that made a difference either way were tyres and tubes. They are after all our only contact with the ground.

 

[ren531]

What are the tyres?

If I remember rightly they are shwalbe Delta cruisers and I only have them at 55-60 psi so quite a supple tyre from previous experience with them and relatively low pressure. As I said up thread it's likely me as much as anything

 

[cougie uk]

Reviews of them have said they're pretty bombproof and cheap. Better tyres would help with the ride.

 

[All uphill]

I had an aluminium Orro with a carbon fork. Changing the tyres from Zaffiros to Schwalbe Ones made it feel like a completely different bike, in a good way.

I wonder if bikes have to be built now to carry 110kg riders, rather than 75kg ones, as well as the extra demands made by disc brakes.

 

[ren531]

Reviews of them have said they're pretty bombproof and cheap. Better tyres would help with the ride.

Yes I wanted them because they were bombproof so I can use it for commuting on glass infested cycle paths, I guess it's a trade off between puncture protection and comfort.
I will try different tyres, but wanted to find out more about carbon forks first.