Sabbath Silk Road vs PX Spitfire.

[Blue Hills]

Titanium is too flexi / twangy for forks. some MTB did have Ti forks but they were braced to stop them flexing and looked very odd.

aluminium is numb and has little vibration damping, why ruin a good bike with a cheap fork. that why a heck of a lot of ally bikes above cheapo cost have carbon forks.

steel would work but make the bike heavier. the point of titanium is you get the ride quality and strength of steel, but significantly lighter.

you might not like it, but for a road bike fork, carbon is an excellent material, stiff, light and provides some damping.

thanks for the reply - i did think twice before putting the ally option - am not a fan of ally either though i have had a pricey ally bike.
I didn't realise weight saving was such a big priority with titanium. Is it?
I take your point about the disadvantage of a titanium fork but can't help wondering how big, for argument's sake, the weight saving between a titanium fork and a steel fork would be. If not a lot, seems that the weight saving an on titanium frame with a carbon fork is being gained by using the carbon.
I do appreciate that carbon forks have certain road buzz qualities but still don't like carbon.
Maybe I should just stick with all steel

 

[Blue Hills]

What is it you don't like about it?


The forks on most bikes above the real budget end are carbon nowadays.

It is a better material than any of the others for the combination of rigidity in one direction with flexibility in another that the best forks have.

I wouldn't ever trust one after a knock, a knock I may not even be aware of.
And its "advantages" are of little consequence to me as I am not a sports cyclist.

Appreciate that they may have pluses for other types of cyclist.

 

[T4tomo]

If not a lot, seems that the weight saving an on titanium frame with a carbon fork is being gained by using the carbon.

Nah. Decent columbus butted steel frame around 1900g. Titanium around 1500g, Carbon around 1350g.

If buying, new steel is about as expensive as Ti these days.

If you aren't fussed about weight, stick with vintage 531 butted steel. It takes some beating for the leisure cyclist. Modern wheels and groupsets can be fitted to older frames if you're that way fussed.

 

[cougie uk]

But you'd trust alu forks ? Metal breaks too you know.

 

[Blue Hills]

But you'd trust alu forks ? Metal breaks too you know.

I'm not running any ally forks - the ally bike I rode was in any case pretty overbuilt.
I know that metal does break but the sort of knocks that would take carbon out of commission (at least without a good technical examination) would do little to a steel fork. From what I understand as well, the failure mode on steel will be somewhat different than carbon.
(i may have time to say my prayers or sing a few songs, or stop)
In any case as I said, I'm not a sports cyclist - and I have been known to put panniers on front forks.