Is this safe ??

[threefingerjoe]

Just the very fact that you're asking, tells us that you're not comfortable riding with it. I had a similar experience. There was something about my carbon fork that always made me uneasy. It would probably have been ok, but I was never comfortable until I replaced it...in my case, with a chrome/moly fork. Now, I can forget about the fork, and enjoy the ride again. When carbon parts fail, they fail catastrophically. I'd recommend replacing it, for your own peace-of-mind.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that you should not use a carbon fork. I'm just recommending that you dispose of THAT fork. Until then, you'll be experiencing the "sword of Democlese" syndrome.

 

[bad boy]

Thanks for all the replies,

Forks are in the post special delivery so ill wait and see what they say and update the thread.

I am certainly not happy to continue ridding them question is now shall I just purchase a new set with an alu steerer and if I get a replacement fork off Planet X sell it ?

 

[raindog]

Wait and see what happens, surely? Don't you have a second iron you can ride in the meantime?

 

[bad boy]

Wait and see what happens, surely? Don't you have a second iron you can ride in the meantime?

Yes ive got my other road bike I can ride but was looking forward to using this had a race on the weekend and southern counties festival coming up also. What with the bank holidays im not confident ill be seeing a new fork anytime soon

 

[bad boy]

Just thought id update the thread.

Received new forks today from Planet X - after looking at the returned forks they said they would have been fine but sent me new forks to be safe.

Im really pleased with how it was handled I had expected them to say I overtightened it but swapped them straight over so cant complain.

I purchased a new stem and sanded down the edges and around the lightening hole inside as best I could its certainly smoother so hopefully all should be ok now.

 

[L.E.D.]

Glad you've sorted the problem out

It was a hidden problem on a mates bike last year, He descended Caerphilly Mountain (bloody steep for those that know) went through the town and stopped at the lights. Lights turned green, we all clipped in and he promptly fell over with the handlebars in his hands and unattached to the bike. After some inspection his carbon steerer tube had been cut through cleanly , needless to say everyone with carbon steerer tubes went home and dismantled their bikes and checked theirs.

We all feel he used up quite a few of his nine lives in the previous few weeks riding with that hidden danger.

 

[snailracer]

Carbon steerers are unsafe as a concept. But that's just my opinion.

 

[gbb]

Glad you've sorted the problem out

It was a hidden problem on a mates bike last year, He descended Caerphilly Mountain (bloody steep for those that know) went through the town and stopped at the lights. Lights turned green, we all clipped in and he promptly fell over with the handlebars in his hands and unattached to the bike. After some inspection his carbon steerer tube had been cut through cleanly , needless to say everyone with carbon steerer tubes went home and dismantled their bikes and checked theirs.

We all feel he used up quite a few of his nine lives in the previous few weeks riding with that hidden danger.

I think it's a wise thing everyone with carbon steerers should be doing anyway. It takes 10 minutes to do and couldnt be simpler. It gives anyone with even a hint of uncertainty about carbon steerers peace of mind. My bikes 18 months old, its always been on my mind (not in a worrying way) and i just stripped mine the other week. Why did i wait so long ???

 

[Smokin Joe]

I think it's a wise thing everyone with carbon steerers should be doing anyway. It takes 10 minutes to do and couldnt be simpler. It gives anyone with even a hint of uncertainty about carbon steerers peace of mind. My bikes 18 months old, its always been on my mind (not in a worrying way) and i just stripped mine the other week. Why did i wait so long ???

I'm with Snail Racer on this.


I've no idea how safe carbon steerers are and what their failure rate is, but any component that needs removing regularly for inspection (if that is the case) is crap. How often are you supposed to inspect it anyway, every year / six months / weekly?

If you have to go through that pulaver to save a few grams you wouldn't even notice well feck that.

 

[gbb]

I'm with Snail Racer on this.


I've no idea how safe carbon steerers are and what their failure rate is, but any component that needs removing regularly for inspection (if that is the case) is crap. How often are you supposed to inspect it anyway, every year / six months / weekly?

If you have to go through that pulaver to save a few grams you wouldn't even notice well feck that.

It'd be interesting to see how much weight is actually saved with carbon steerers, but i was absolutely gobsmacked when i took mine out, the wheel still included, just how freeking light the whole lot was. Seriously seriously surprised.
I work on the principle...how many bikes are out there now with full carbon forks..millions probably. If things were that dodgy, they wouldnt make them. The steerer on mine is about 5 mm thick, its quite hefty. I was quite surprised at that too, dont know why, i expected it to be thinner

 

[bad boy]

In all seriousness I had a long discussion with my lbs about going for some new forks with an alu steerer.

I made the decision I would run with the replacement and see how things go, ill be checking the steerer often, by removing the stem and spacers and glancing over it.

I agree with Smoking Joe although ive paid me moneys and dont want to start buying new forks on a 5 week old bike.
Also Im now wishing I bloody got black as the thought of a bright red frame and different branded black forks doesn't appeal to me much to be honest, so all in all its pissed me off a little as it will be on my mind now and I should be enjoying it which im not.

Happy its going to be ride able next week thats about it.

 

[bad boy]

It'd be interesting to see how much weight is actually saved with carbon steerers, but i was absolutely gobsmacked when i took mine out, the wheel still included, just how freeking light the whole lot was. Seriously seriously surprised.
I work on the principle...how many bikes are out there now with full carbon forks..millions probably. If things were that dodgy, they wouldnt make them. The steerer on mine is about 5 mm thick, its quite hefty. I was quite surprised at that too, dont know why, i expected it to be thinner

when I was looking last week decent as in light full carbon forks were under 370g. Forks with an alu steerer I didnt see any under 500g Easton EA70 are around 530g for example.

SL PRO forks are 400g

 

[fossyant]

Trek had an issue with snapped carbon steerers - their recommendation was to use stems that had less 'cut out' at the clamp - i.e. more material at the clamp end where the 'tube' of the stem is joined.

Also it's recommended you have a spacer above the top cap, so the stem is fully clamping the steerer - the spacer needs to be enough to cover that 'gap' you have at the top of the steerer to top cap.

 

[bad boy]

I must have read every safety article and service bulletin Ive found on the net about carbon steerers !.

You try finding a stem which lists the diameter of the lightening hole !?. Trek suggests a lightening hole which has a min of 1cm clamping material at either end to stop a potential pinch point. I have searched high and low the best stem I found for carbon steerers was the Oval R700 and has a nice stack height of 45mm with a biased stem clamp most are 40mm or less. I know Ritchey do a stem with a biased stem clamp also.

If there is a next time and I hope there wont be im ordering a set of Easton EA70 forks without hesitation and if it looks naf so be it.

My Steerer had one 15mm spacer below the stem a long bung of 4.8cm which extended below the bottom clamp of the stem. The one 5mm spacer ontop was just enough to get enough pre load on the headset to remove play so I added another 2mm to get it spot on.

Point is you can follow it all and they still fail, I dont think that happens with Alu and steel, this was the big argument with the broken Trek steerers hence their survice bulletin which was basically written by lawers in an event people starting suing them.

Saying that do people remember George Hincapie and his broken steerer on his Trek at a race ?? pics all over the net snapped clean off and it was ALU not carbon !.

 

[raindog]

Saying that do people remember George Hincapie and his broken steerer on his Trek at a race ?? pics all over the net snapped clean off and it was ALU not carbon !.

I was just about to mention that. So that was definitely the steerer that sheared? At the time no one seemed to know whether it was that or stem/bar failure. Do you have a link? I think George got a broken collar bone out of that.