Carbon Vs. Steel Fork

Ride both bikes, see which fits you the best, which one you like the most and get that one.

Don't look too hard into what "ride qualities" a particular material is supposed to have. If you like the way a particular bike looks and more importantly, rides then that's worth more than a "theorectical" advantage that one material may have over another. I can tell the difference in ride quality between my 653 tubed steel road bike and my Cannondale Hi-Mod supersix but the steel bike fits me a bit better so it's my current ride of choice regardless of terrain.

FWIW. About a dozen years ago I chose to replace several 'good' steel forks with good-for-the-time Carbon Fiber forks (it was the thing to do, or so I thought!?!)...

• I would suggest, based on my experience, that a good CF fork merely mimics a good steel fork AND (for me) that there was no appreciable difference in the ride, itself, BUT there was about a 1 lb. reduction in the bike's weight when the CF fork has a steel steerer ...
  
• a CF fork with a lighter aluminum or CF steerer will further reduce the weight, comparatively, from the weight of a steel fork
  

If you buy a bike with a steel fork, then you can always replace it in the future fork (yes, that will mean more money) with a CF fork ... which is to say that 'I' don't think that a CF fork should be the determinant in deciding between two bikes.

As swampy1970 noted, the fit (which can be adjusted to some extent) matters more.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by swampy1970 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I can tell the difference in ride quality between my 653 tubed steel road bike and my Cannondale Hi-Mod supersix but the steel bike fits me a bit better so it's my current ride of choice regardless of terrain.

HMMmm. I think that your "653 tubed steel road bike" could be the perfect candidate for a pair of Campagnolo shifters! [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif[/IMG]

I would also like to point out that the size of the forks are almost exactly the same. So my point is that is it worth to ditch out much more money for just a different fork material? I need replies fast..getting the bike today [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif[/IMG]

$25 more, sure.

$100 more, no.

Frame fit?

YOUR height?

Frame material?

Wheels?

What are the OTHER components on both bikes?!?

You can search the specs of each one because im on a mobile device, but i am split between the trek 7.4 and the specialized sirrus elite.

Why should we look things up for you? Those two companies put out good stuff and even the quality of the lower priced components is pretty good. But you don't just ride a fork (not sure why you are obsessed with this) - so go ride the bikes and the one that makes you feel more like a 10 year old kid getting a bike at Christmas is the one you need to buy.

alfeng said:

HMMmm.  I think that your "653 tubed steel road bike" could be the perfect candidate for a pair of Campagnolo shifters!  :duck:

I went neo-retro and put full Dura Ace 7800 on it, with an XTR rech mech and a 6600 triple front mech that some numpty bent at the weekend when he knocked my bike over... I find that the 6600 triple shifts between the 34/50 rings better than a standard Dura Ace front mech. Campag-NO-lo. Maybe cobbling together the coolest looking parts of C-Record with some alloy 11 speed shifters/rear mech then I might go that route - but the 7800 attracts more magpies (it's shinier) and works better so I'll stick with that and not worry about dwell or people saying that my gear cables will snap in the brifter every 500 miles... ... Personally, I'm more worried about space aliens destroying the world with copious amounts whipped cream, fired from Africa sized cans on the side of their mothership.