How to choose your road bike fork?

The fork is the key to precise handling and a comfortable bike. road bike must be selected with care.

Standards

You won't necessarily be able to fit just any fork on your framethe following points must be observed:

• Materials: aluminum, aluminum/carbon axle, carbon
• geometries: shape of jambs, offset
• Technical constraints linked to your frame: head tube diameter, wheel diameter, wheel type, etc.brake caliper

Fork types

Although some road bikes road bikes may feature aluminum forks, almost all of them are now equipped with carbon forks, for greater steering precision and performance. However, there are two types of carbon fork:

Some havealuminum components on sensitive areas such as the pivot and/or dropouts. This makes them more robust at these points in the event of overtightening of the stem or rapid wheel locking.

Others are made entirely of carbon. They are much lighter and often more responsive to steering, but also more fragile.

Geometry

There are two other characteristics that will influence the behavior of your forks: leg shape and offset.

Leg shapecan be either curved for greater comfort, or straight for a more responsive fork.

For offsetwhich corresponds to the distance between the axis given by the fork steerer tube and the wheel axis, is generally between 40 and 45 mm. Closer to 40 mm, the fork will be responsive to steering. Closer to 45 mm, it will be more stable.

Technical constraints linked to your frame

Last but not least, you won't necessarily be able to mount just any fork on your frame, so you'll need to respect the following points:

• Fork pivot diameter: 1"1/8; tapered 1"1/4-1"1/8; tapered 1"1/2-1"1/8.
• Wheel diameter: most bikes are 700 (28"), but some are 650.
• Brake caliper type: pad or disc.

Which fork is right for my riding?

The right compromise between leisure and performance can be achieved with a carbon fork and aluminum or carbon steerer tube, depending on your budget. Choose a curved fork for comfort and an offset of between 43 and 45 mm for a bike that's easier to ride.

If you're looking for performance above all else, opt for an all-carbon fork with a straight leg and an offset between 40 and 43 mm to make your bike more responsive.