531Aussie said:In general, I prefer alu steerers because the whole fork is usually stiffer due to the alu crown. The weight 'penalty' is anywhere from 80g to 100g upward, although a lot of full-carbon forks have more 'sophisticated' blades, so if a 'fancy' full-carbon weighs <300g, it's not just due to the steerer material, it's due to the overall design of the fork. Vice versa for an alu-steerer fork.
An alu-steerer fork will weigh anywhere from ~470g to ~570g, and a full-carbon fork will be ~450g, right down to <300g for expensive ones
'Word' on the street is that carbon steerers aren't as strong as alu -- and I tend to agree -- but, like a lot of this stuff, we're not seeing a bazillion carbon steerers snapping all over the place.
I've got rid of a few full-carbon forks and replaced them with cheaper forks with alu steerers because the full-carbons were a bit flexy. I've got rid of a Columbus Muscle, two Mizuno full-carbons, a Specialized FACT, and an old LOOK HSC. The only full-carbon fork I really like is an oldish Columbus Carve.
Stiffer forks obviously don't flex as much when you get off the saddle to mash, they're generally more stable at high speeds, and they generally corner better. The downside is less comfort and a tiny weight penalty.
In theory, integrated headsets put more stress on the head-tube, but, once again, we don't see a trazillion cracked or distorted frames. I reckon they're a bit of a toss, and mostly done for looks, but they're becoming difficult to avoid on new frames. I said I'd never get one, but then I got a good deal on an alu Cervelo Soloist frame, so.....🙂. Columbus make a semi-integrated head-set, but I dunno how compatible they are with all frames.
Okay, I'll disagree on a few points.
A lot of "fork flex" actually comes from the steerer, and using simple geometry you can see how a little steerer flex results in a lot more movement at the dropouts. The steerer has to flex. For it to have as little flex as possible, it'd have to be supported along its entire length with roller bearings or summat.
There is some flex at the crown, but of possibly greater concern is adding another joint--a glued joint at that--at the crown. Granted, bonded joint technology is mature, and it's rare for bonded joints to fail. However, for those people that insist on worrying over every little thing, well, they can worry over joints unbonding.
Aluminum is stronger? Well, that's an ill-posed question, especially when posed in the context of composites. You first have to determine what strong means. If you mean "strong" as in "less likely to fail," I think your claim fails. George Hincapie might disagree with you, but then that was only one instance. The fact is that CF can be made to have a lifespan much greater than an aluminum steerer. In real terms, though, both are sufficiently sturdy that no one should really worry.
Given the new CE standards for forks, people ought to be a bit less worried about full CF forks. And as long, now, that full CF forks have been around--and at least Look, if not some of the other makers, have been making them a long time--and with the rarity of failures, I think they've been proven to be reliable.
I'm about to test a Reynolds Ouzo Pro Lite on a descent of a nasty fire road/motocross road as soon as my Vittoria Pave tubies get here, so I'll let you know how that goes.
In the end, go with what helps you sleep better. No matter what you choose, it'll be more than durable enough for you on the road.
