Straight forks

[rogerzilla]

In theory having part of the tube more perpendicular to road shock should make it bend more, but forks really don't deflect by very much at all.  50s bikes have a small radius bend right at the bottom of the fork (you can still have them made like this now if you go to Argos and ask specially) which some people feel gives more flex than the modern "banana" fork, but having ridden both, I'm unconvinced.

[mrcharly-YHT]

This actually looks quite tasty. Suspect it would be out of my price bracket, sigh

[Zipperhead]

[Regulator]

Shouldn't that be in the 'Fugly Bikes' thread?   





 

[Rhys W]

There's some aesthetically pleasing about how the forks are almost parallel to the seat tube, dontcha think?

[PaulF]

Well I like straight forks

http://]http://www.flickr.com/photos/36022173@N08/4350239193/


Although I admit these are a little chunky compared to the frame. Or maybe an effect of the colour?

[hubner]

I don't think straight forks look good, but then I don't think most curved forks look good either.

Forks that have a slight bend halfway down the blades, which then straightens out above the dropouts, are really ugly. It seems virtually all current steel forks have this shape, at least the mass produced ones do. Even custom builders don't get it quite right, eg Mercian or Bob Jackson, the bend isn't smooth enough and starts too high up.

I suppose it's really what you're used to, non-tapering forks look weird to me.

[Greenbank]

Straight forks and chrome lugs.

[rogerzilla]

I don't think straight forks look good, but then I don't think most curved forks look good either.

Forks that have a slight bend halfway down the blades, which then straightens out above the dropouts, are really ugly. It seems virtually all current steel forks have this shape, at least the mass produced ones do. Even custom builders don't get it quite right, eg Mercian or Bob Jackson, the bend isn't smooth enough and starts too high up.

You'd like these then:



Argos made them - they have a little-used (and home-made) bending jig for people who want the 50s-style tight radius.  Do they make the ride plusher?  Nah.

[alexb]

Shouldn't that be in the 'Fugly Bikes' thread?   
 

Graham, you hold him and I'll hit him!

[rogerzilla]

I think my daughter would call that particular shade "poo brown" 

[alexb]

So does this pass muster?

[rogerzilla]

It's a smaller offset (dictated by the steep head angle) so you can't see the curve as clearly.

Straight forks look good on MTBs and their derivatives, probably because we're so used to seeing them with suspension forks.

[Zipperhead]

Graham, you hold him and I'll hit him!

If he thinks he's getting his hands on my trike after that insult....

[hubner]

So does this pass muster?

Ignoring the backwards sloping top tube for the moment , the bend is lower down but it's straight above the dropouts, making it look like it's kinked. Compare with this:




This gets it right:

but unfortunately the frame is far too small for the setup, ie the top tube is too low.

[Rhys W]

If curved forks are all that, why aren't all stays curved as well?

I know some of them are (Villiers Randonneur)

[clarion]

Hmm.  You might not be putting the same uneven amount of force into your forks that pedalling puts into the stays.

[Regulator]

Graham, you hold him and I'll hit him!

If he thinks he's getting his hands on my trike after that insult....

I have an arrangement with your missus... 


 

[alexb]

So does this pass muster?

Ignoring the backwards sloping top tube for the moment , the bend is lower down but it's straight above the dropouts, making it look like it's kinked. Compare with this:




This gets it right:

but unfortunately the frame is far too small for the setup, ie the top tube is too low.

I suspect if you saw the forks in the flesh you'd realise that they are pretty much a continual curve up until the point where they become obviously much straighter.
As for the dropped top tube. I have my reasons for building it like that.
If I wanted another gate I'd have used lugs.

[Moloko]

You can lead a bike to water, but you can't make it drink it.

[hubner]

I suspect if you saw the forks in the flesh you'd realise that they are pretty much a continual curve up until the point where they become obviously much straighter.

But my point is that I prefer a continuous curve all the way to the dropout, without a dead straight bit between the bend and the dropout.

[Zipperhead]

If he thinks he's getting his hands on my trike after that insult....

I have an arrangement with your missus... 
 
[/quote]

Well if it's with my missus it won't involve sex

 

[rogerzilla]

but unfortunately the frame is far too small for the setup, ie the top tube is too low.

I bought the frame from bikenerd a couple of years ago.  We think it was custom made for someone in the 1950s because it has a 21.5" seat tube but a 23" top tube.  It rides nicely though, and I had threadless forks made to match because it had a non-original 26TPI Raleigh fork which was a bit tricky on the headset front.

[Ian H]

If curved forks are all that, why aren't all stays curved as well?

I know some of them are (Villiers Randonneur)

Because only a few people (such as Ron Cooper) know how to properly bend the stays.