Straight vs curved forks

[Christopher]

i went from straight steel forks to curved carbon ones on the same bike and it got a lot less painful riding on rough roads. I do not know if your straight Eastons would transmit more road shock than the curved ones, but worth bearing in mind.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm not sure I grasp that. Surely the angle and distance between steerer and axle is the same on both models, like what Foodie and Tim said? But if you're right I'm concerned - I use a short stem and don't need any more twitchiness...

No forks for the road are truly straight, i.e in-line with the steerer tube. Straight forks are angled away (forward) from the angle of the steerer-tube just below the lower bearing so that the axle will be placed at the same relative position as a curved fork assuming that both forks have the same offset and most are pretty damn similar for a road-bike. Touring forks would differ being angled away more from the line of the steerer tube... Oh for a pen and paper!

Snapper 'may' have something about the curve being shock absorbing, but it could also do with just a different manufacture.
My TCR has straight forks, they work and look just fine!

 

[theclaud]

No forks for the road are truly straight, i.e in-line with the steerer tube. Straight forks are angled away (forward) from the angle of the steerer-tube just below the lower bearing so that the axle will be placed at the same relative position as a curved fork assuming that both forks have the same offset and most are pretty damn similar for a road-bike. Touring forks would differ being angled away more from the line of the steerer tube... Oh for a pen and paper!

Snapper 'may' have something about the curve being shock absorbing, but it could also do with just a different manufacture.
My TCR has straight forks, they work and look just fine!

That's not Snapper - that's Frustruck. They have similar doggies. Anyway, thanks for all your advice - I've just bought the straight ones! Which is just as well, because if I were to waste any more work time staring at forks on Ebay, the next payday could be my last.

 

[02GF74]

Snapper 'may' have something about the curve being shock absorbing, but it could also do with just a different manufacture.

Yeah, that is what I have read too. A straight fork has to tranmist the up/down forces at the axle up the fork legs but a curver legs can offer some flex.

think of an extremely curved fork, semi circle as in pic (will add this). you can see there will be a part that will move up and down absorbing road shocks.

the straight fork will be thinner at the end so it can flex a bit.

sorry, can't descrbie it any better than that.

 

[02GF74]

piccy

wonder if sheldon brown says anything on this subject?

 

[BigSteev]

How curvy?

 

[theclaud]

How curvy?

Wow! That should satisfy Tim's criteria!

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's not Snapper - that's Frustruck. They have similar doggies. Anyway, thanks for all your advice - I've just bought the straight ones! Which is just as well, because if I were to waste any more work time staring at forks on Ebay, the next payday could be my last.

Opps

Apols Frustruck!