Carbon Bike Fork?

Karl Stadtmueller does his cycling in Rural New York City on a “Classic” alloy Vitus, but he damaged the forks and wants to know which carbon forks would be a good replacement.

Question:
I have a Vitus 979 which is 25 to 30 years old. I weigh 150 pounds and rural recreational ride from 30 to 100 miles on a given weekend day. I do not pound on my bike. The roads are usually tar/stone covered and occasionally bumpy. My aluminum fork happened to get damaged and bent. I presume in this condition it needs to be replaced. The bike has a 1 inch steering tube. Would a carbon fork be a good replacement? I know there are various types of carbon forks. They go from Monocoque (one piece), to two and three piece constructions. I think a three piece constructed fork would not be a good choice. What fork would be your choice and why?

Hi Karl.

Replacing the old damaged forks is a very good idea as you don’t want them to break when you are on a ride. Alloy can crack when damaged and then snap, plus with forks you can’t see if there has been any damage to the steering column which is hidden by the head tube and the head set. So replacing them is the safest thing to do and carbon is the way to go.

Monocoque is probably the best option, but its also the most expensive fork, there is no problem with a set of two piece fork with carbon bonded to alloy as these are very strong and a little less expensive. Take a look at Columbus Carve, Deda Blackforce, Easton EC90, Profile BRC and Ritchey Comp, these are all available in 1 inch, all these are top quality carbon forks, some are monocoque and the others are alloy steering column with carbon crown and fork legs.

As your bike is over 25 years old it will probably have a threaded head set, so if you want to keep your head set then you will have to look for forks with a threaded steering column.

You can change the old threaded head set for an A-head set, but you will also have to buy an A-head set stem to fit the smooth threadless forks, which will all look very nice and modern.

I had a Vitus for some time, many years ago, and it was one of the best bikes for cornering and climbing, but a little harsh on bumpy roads, the addition of carbon forks should help the comfort of your ride.

Let us know which forks you decide.