[Critking]

Today I went to pick up my Pace RC29 from the LBS and noticed lines and cross hatch patterns on one of the carbon legs, but not the other. You could actually feel the cross hatch of the carbon with your fingers. The owner assured me it would not affect the structural integrity of the fork.
I am nervous running the carbon fork to begin with. Is this a defect? Or am I being too picky?
I had the owner send it back for another one. If I am laying out that kind of scratch I think it should look perfect. What do you think?

 

[deuxdiesel]

Sorry I have not seen one up close, but is it an axial (helix) type of weave, or a typical woven cloth lay up? I used to work in the sports composites industry (skis, waterskis, etc), and often times it is the amount of resin in the mold that gives the overall "depth" of the finish. Excess resin doesn't really add strength, just weight, so often the extra was removed, and a top coat of a finishing resin was applied to protect the weave. I wonder if the mandrel (the mold the part was built in) had some variation, or the amount of material put into the mandrel (the lay-up) was a little off. Either way, C/F has a lot of strength and I doubt one will fail because of a difference in texture. However, if you are paying big $ for it, you should get something that is first quality in appearence also.

 

[Critking]

I really don't know much about the different types of CF, but I have been really happy with my monkey lite bars. Carbon has a nice "feel" and I expected a finish on the fork comparable to my monkey lites.

 

[Rainman]

Today I went to pick up my Pace RC29 from the LBS and noticed lines and cross hatch patterns on one of the carbon legs, but not the other. You could actually feel the cross hatch of the carbon with your fingers. The owner assured me it would not affect the structural integrity of the fork.
I am nervous running the carbon fork to begin with. Is this a defect? Or am I being too picky?
I had the owner send it back for another one. If I am laying out that kind of scratch I think it should look perfect. What do you think?

That sounds like a defect in the lay-up... get a new one to be safe..

R.

 

[TiRyder]

I think you are justified in wanting the aesthetics to match the cost/bling factor that comes along with a product like the Pace fork.

I am sure it was completely structurally sound, though, as the outermost, visible layer of the carbon weave is usually just a clean, pretty layer they put on last. Underneath that top layer, it usually is not very attractive, with the weaves laid up in different directions to give the product the strength and feel that is desired.

 

[el-cid]

What TiRyder said, the outer layer of carbon fiber is a cosmetic coat; the structural carbon fiber usually just looks black, kind of like anodized aluminum. I'm with you though, for the cost of a fork like that it should look perfect.

 

[Fast Freddy]

I've had several Pace carbon forks and not one of them could I feel anything but the decals on the legs - the carbon was glass smooth (or the coating over the carbon). If you could feel something 'texture' being different - they I bet you got an odd one. I've owned 4 of the RC forks (and handled over 10 RC in the last year) and not one of them felt different.

FF

 

[Critking]

Thanks for the reassurance.
I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Sometimes I go a little overboard, but I know that I am not alone on this one.