CARBON FORK QUESTION

When it comes to forks, especially CF, it's good to have a healthy dose of paranoia. I would not
trust it. None of the visualizations that comes to mind of fork failures produces a pretty sight.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a ti gt edge with CF bladed fork and upon routine cleaning it was noted that the fork has a
"small" crack in the center of the crown that appears to only be thru the clear coat and doesn't
connect to the brake mount hole or anything else for that matter.

Am I just paranoid or is this good cause for concern? I took some pics if someone is interested
for the CF experts.

Michael [email hidden]

Is this "paranoia" really necessary? There are literally tens of thousands, if not hundreds of
thousands of CF forks on the road. You do not hear about any massive amounts of failures. IF there
were problems you would hear about it, especially here on rec.bike.wreck! Of course, IF there is
some damage to a CF fork, then it should be throughly inspected and replaced if needed. However,
there IF you are that paranoid of CF forks, do yourself a favor and stick to steel. But don't spread
such fear mongering and paranoia, it ain't healthy..... "thekid" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:OLwCa.1099151$S_4.1110900@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

When it comes to forks, especially CF, it's good to have a healthy dose of paranoia. I would not
trust it. None of the visualizations that comes to mind of fork failures produces a pretty sight.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a ti gt edge with CF bladed fork and upon routine cleaning it was noted that the fork has
a "small" crack in the center of the crown that appears to only be thru the clear coat and
doesn't connect to the brake mount hole or anything else for that matter.

Am I just paranoid or is this good cause for concern? I took some pics

if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

someone is interested for the CF experts.

Michael [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a ti gt edge with CF bladed fork and upon routine cleaning it

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

noted that the fork has a "small" crack in the center of the crown

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

appears to only be thru the clear coat and doesn't connect to the

brake

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mount hole or anything else for that matter.

Am I just paranoid or is this good cause for concern? I took some

pics

Quoted message said:

if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

someone is interested for the CF experts.

Quoted message said:

"thekid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:OLwCa.1099151$S_4.1110900@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

When it comes to forks, especially CF, it's good to have a healthy dose

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

paranoia. I would not trust it. None of the visualizations that comes to mind of fork failures
produces a pretty sight.

"bfd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this "paranoia" really necessary? There are literally tens of

thousands,

Quoted message said:

if not hundreds of thousands of CF forks on the road. You do not hear

about

Quoted message said:

any massive amounts of failures. IF there were problems you would hear

about

Quoted message said:

it, especially here on rec.bike.wreck! Of course, IF there is some damage

to

Quoted message said:

a CF fork, then it should be throughly inspected and replaced if needed. However, there IF you are
that paranoid of CF forks, do yourself a favor

and

Quoted message said:

stick to steel. But don't spread such fear mongering and paranoia, it

ain't

Quoted message said:

healthy.....

I agree. I was very vocally wrong when I predicted large numbeers of failures on the advent of cheap
Chinese carbon forks on popular priced bikes. They have proven dependable.

However I would take great care to ensure _your particular_ ( the mysterious MrBubble, the OP) fork
anomaly is a clearcoat variance and not actually a crack.

Clear nail polish is useful if it is a clearcoat problem

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

That's just it, a little paranoia my be healthier than lying mangled at the bottom of a steep hill
because the glue holdiing fork fibers together gave way. And all because after the design was
released to manufacturing, they decided to save a few dollars by using a cheaper resin that was
not reliable.

"bfd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this "paranoia" really necessary? There are literally tens of

thousands,

Quoted message said:

if not hundreds of thousands of CF forks on the road. You do not hear

about

Quoted message said:

any massive amounts of failures. IF there were problems you would hear

about

Quoted message said:

it, especially here on rec.bike.wreck! Of course, IF there is some damage

to

Quoted message said:

a CF fork, then it should be throughly inspected and replaced if needed. However, there IF you are
that paranoid of CF forks, do yourself a favor

and

Quoted message said:

stick to steel. But don't spread such fear mongering and paranoia, it

ain't

Quoted message said:

healthy..... "thekid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:OLwCa.1099151$S_4.1110900@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

When it comes to forks, especially CF, it's good to have a healthy dose

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

paranoia. I would not trust it. None of the visualizations that comes to mind of fork failures
produces a pretty sight.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a ti gt edge with CF bladed fork and upon routine cleaning it

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

noted that the fork has a "small" crack in the center of the crown

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

appears to only be thru the clear coat and doesn't connect to the

brake

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mount hole or anything else for that matter.

Am I just paranoid or is this good cause for concern? I took some

pics

Quoted message said:

if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

someone is interested for the CF experts.

Michael [email hidden]

"thekid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:XpeEa.1158093$S_4.1185664@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

That's just it, a little paranoia my be healthier than lying mangled at

the

Quoted message said:

bottom of a steep hill because the glue holdiing fork fibers together gave way. And all because
after the design was released to manufacturing, they decided to save a few dollars by using a
cheaper resin that was not reliable.

My sailboat is made from fiberglass resin, still going strong after 20 + years.

Dashii

thekid said:

That's just it, a little paranoia my be healthier than lying mangled at the bottom of a steep hill
because the glue holdiing fork fibers together gave way. And all because after the design was
released to manufacturing, they decided to save a few dollars by using a cheaper resin that was not
reliable.

That was certainly a common concern 10 years ago, but by and large the CF forks have proven to be as
reliable as their metal brethren.

That's not to say that every new design that comes along is going to be robust enough for an abusive
200 pound climber/sprinter. And let's not assume that just because a fork is made from metal that
it's indestructible - there could be a casting flaw, or a contaminated batch of aluminum alloy, etc.

In the end, I'm pretty conservative when it comes to forks I'll ride (my own road bikes have steel
steer tubes even though I'm only ~150 pounds / 72kg). I'm watching this whole carbon fiber steer
tube thing closely to see what kinds of real-world problems surface.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles habcycles.comhabcycles.comOpen ↗ Home of the $695 ti frame

Quoted message said:

"bfd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this "paranoia" really necessary? There are literally tens of

thousands,

Quoted message said:

if not hundreds of thousands of CF forks on the road. You do not hear

about

Quoted message said:

any massive amounts of failures. IF there were problems you would hear

about

Quoted message said:

it, especially here on rec.bike.wreck! Of course, IF there is some damage

to

Quoted message said:

a CF fork, then it should be throughly inspected and replaced if needed. However, there IF you
are that paranoid of CF forks, do yourself a favor

and

Quoted message said:

stick to steel. But don't spread such fear mongering and paranoia, it

ain't

Quoted message said:

healthy..... "thekid" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:OLwCa.1099151$S_4.1110900@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

When it comes to forks, especially CF, it's good to have a healthy dose

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

paranoia. I would not trust it. None of the visualizations that comes to mind of fork failures
produces a pretty sight.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> I have a ti gt edge with CF bladed fork and upon routine cleaning it

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> noted that the fork has a "small" crack in the center of the crown

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> appears to only be thru the clear coat and doesn't connect to the

brake

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> mount hole or anything else for that matter.
>
> Am I just paranoid or is this good cause for concern? I took some

pics

Quoted message said:

if

Quoted message said:

> someone is interested for the CF experts.
>
> Michael [email hidden]
>
>