REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Those new Bonty-forks...

2731 Views 39 Replies 24 Participants Last post by Cloxxki, Dec 19, 2005

erol/frost

Discussion Starter · Dec 14, 2005

Sorry if this has been discussed to death already, but i just found out about this and immediately went to Bontragers website to check out what it loosk like. No pic. Anyone know if these new forks follow in the footsteps of the old RaceLite and Composite?

1 - 20 of 40 Posts

WTB-rider

· #2 · Dec 14, 2005

No. They're ugly, expensive and not steel.

All opinions of course.

benwitt11

· #3 · Dec 15, 2005

Not ugly. I rather like them. They look much nicer in person. 950g for the 29er.

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bikeanddrum

· #4 · Dec 15, 2005

Mine hopefully will show up in January. I am excited to check it out, I love my Reba but I also love my KM fork for it's steering properties. Hopefully the carbon bonty will be a smooth riding fork. We shall see..

threesixeight

· #5 · Dec 16, 2005

hoping

I am hoping that the carbon bonty will smooth things out as well. Is the weight listed above accurate at 950grams?

bikeanddrum said:
Mine hopefully will show up in January. I am excited to check it out, I love my Reba but I also love my KM fork for it's steering properties. Hopefully the carbon bonty will be a smooth riding fork. We shall see..

bikeanddrum

· #6 · Dec 16, 2005

950 grams is what I was told by my rep over the phone as well. I will have to see when it arrives and actually weigh it.

b12yan88

· #7 · Dec 16, 2005

bikeanddrum said:
Mine hopefully will show up in January. I am excited to check it out, I love my Reba but I also love my KM fork for it's steering properties. Hopefully the carbon bonty will be a smooth riding fork. We shall see..

Can someone explain to me how carbon fork legs will "smooth" things out. I have never ridden one myself, but it just seems nonsensical. I always thought carbon was one of the stiffest materials used for biking, so wouldn't that equate to maximum trail chatter. A smooth steel fork makes more sense because the steels bending can soak up some of the energy from the ground. ... maybe i'm missing something

mrbiggel77

· #8 · Dec 16, 2005

Actually carbons properties all depend on how you layer the fabric and what shape you use. It can be very stiff or very flexy and is usually quite chatetr damping. Trek has been at carbon for a long time and so this fork should ride quite nicely for a rigid, and its not absurdly light so it should be strong as well. I may look into one myself...

flyingsuperpetis

· #9 · Dec 16, 2005

mrbiggel77 said:
Actually carbons properties all depend on how you layer the fabric and what shape you use. It can be very stiff or very flexy and is usually quite chatetr damping. Trek has been at carbon for a long time and so this fork should ride quite nicely for a rigid, and its not absurdly light so it should be strong as well. I may look into one myself...

"Treks" carbon tubing is stock, off the self tubing from MacQC. It'll ride like whatever a stock, off the shelf Macqc 1" tube rides like.

jpre

· #10 · Dec 16, 2005

b12yan88 said:
Can someone explain to me how carbon fork legs will "smooth" things out. I have never ridden one myself, but it just seems nonsensical. ... maybe i'm missing something

When a material made of one substance receives a bump at one end, that bump is mostly transmitted to the other end without interruption. Some is absorbed via bending, sure.

The difference with carbon is that since it has many layers, a bump at one end is diffused by moving in different directions through the layers to get to the other end. This really only matters for very small bumps or low level chatter. For anything bigger, carbon won't matter.

b12yan88

· #11 · Dec 16, 2005

jpre said:
When a material made of one substance receives a bump at one end, that bump is mostly transmitted to the other end without interruption. Some is absorbed via bending, sure.

The difference with carbon is that since it has many layers, a bump at one end is diffused by moving in different directions through the layers to get to the other end. This really only matters for very small bumps or low level chatter. For anything bigger, carbon won't matter.

that makes more sense, but im still unsure if that will translate into a cushier ride. I have a few carbon bars and they do feel different, and i must admit somewhat of a damping effect. I dont get that buzzing feeling when riding alu bars, but to me a steel or ti fork that could bend just makes more sense.

Padre

· #12 · Dec 16, 2005

b12yan88 said:
Can someone explain to me how carbon fork legs will "smooth" things out. I have never ridden one myself, but it just seems nonsensical. I always thought carbon was one of the stiffest materials used for biking, so wouldn't that equate to maximum trail chatter.

It IS nonsensical.

"Smooth things out" and "better steering" are farsical belief statements. These descriptions help rigid fork sufferers to better rationalize their problem.

b12yan88

· #13 · Dec 16, 2005

Padre said:
It IS nonsensical.

"Smooth things out" and "better steering" are farsical belief statements. These descriptions help rigid fork sufferers to better rationalize their problem.

HEYY stop being sarcastic =P. no really im serious why not go steel instead of carbon? Or Ti instead of carbon?

stevefenton

· #14 · Dec 16, 2005

flyingsuperpetis said:
"Treks" carbon tubing is stock, off the self tubing from MacQC. It'll ride like whatever a stock, off the shelf Macqc 1" tube rides like.

Are you sure ?????? if so please quantify

Chaffer

· #15 · Dec 16, 2005

2 words.......

Bling Factor.....

Beckman4

· #16 · Dec 16, 2005

Not true

flyingsuperpetis said:
"Treks" carbon tubing is stock, off the self tubing from MacQC. It'll ride like whatever a stock, off the shelf Macqc 1" tube rides like.

Trek's carbon tubing is not stock, off the shelf tubing from anyone else. Their OCLV carbon tubing is done by hand, taken from sheets of carbon, placed by hand into the molds and pressed in-house.

OneGearGuy

· #17 · Dec 16, 2005

Chaffer said:
Bling Factor.....

That would be the only reason I can think of for MTB applications. Unless it is also insanely light.
But carbon works its magic on higher frequency vibrations, i.e. a road bike with skinny tires pumped up above 100psi. On a MTB, esp. with the smoothing abilities of the bigger 29" wheels and large volume (not large enough, hahaha), lower pressure tires and larger amplitude of bumps, carbon doesn't seem to have the same abilities to "dampen." I notice a bigger difference in the carbon seat post on my road bike than my MTB.

I believe a Ti fork would be the most "shock" absorbing. Also known as "scary flexy" in some cases.

A well built steel fork, esp. if you get a custom shop to build it to your specs (weight and riding style) will be quite resilient.

Back to the topic, I wonder if a light version, possibly called "xXx" in Trek-speak will follow on the heels of this fork if sales are strong...

OGG

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Ligero

· #18 · Dec 16, 2005

Beckman4 said:
Trek's carbon tubing is not stock, off the shelf tubing from anyone else. Their OCLV carbon tubing is done by hand, taken from sheets of carbon, placed by hand into the molds and pressed in-house.

Trek makes their high end tubing but the rest of the frames and forks get tubing that is bought from Maclean.

Guitar Ted

· #19 · Dec 16, 2005

For What it is Worth

Ligero said:
Trek makes their high end tubing but the rest of the frames and forks get tubing that is bought from Maclean.

I just attended Trek University, which is a traveling seminar for Trek dealers and their employees. They informed us that all of their "in house" carbon is supplied by a company called Hexcell. The only frame made of carbon not done in Waterloo is the new version of the 5000 road bike which is made in Asia.

The Switchblade forks are outsourced from Asia, so are not made in Wisconsin.

As far as ride quality goes, I'm sure carbon has it's place, just look at all these guys clamouring for that Pace fork, as an example.

I am considering the Switchblade as a fork for my new Inbred 29"er build. At 240 "el-bees", I think the Sibex ti fork isn't in my future!

stevefenton

· #20 · Dec 16, 2005

must be true then

you wouldnt want any of that dodgy stuff they use outside the USA would you now

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