Why Do Lots of Carbon Forks Have Alloy Dropouts?

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

Post Reply
Valbrona
Posts: 1629
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:25 am
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

by Valbrona

Some carbon forks are 100% carbon composite material. Some have alloy dropouts. But why?

Are alloy dropouts on carbon fork blades bendable with a dropout alignment tool if they are misaligned?

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
lancejohnson
Posts: 2831
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:08 pm
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Contact:

by lancejohnson

They can be aligned, they can be repaired or replaced, and they can be machined more precisely than carbon can be molded so you have faster wheel changes (felt claimed that with the Garmin bikes a couple years ago anyway)...
___________________________________________________

"Organization is for the simple-minded, the Genius controls the chaos." - Jens

Snicks
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:33 am

by Snicks

More durable as well maybe :noidea:

dmoneysworks
Posts: 166
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:35 am
Location: Parakai, New Zealand

by dmoneysworks

I reckon they are more durable for sure!!

thisisnotaspoon
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:42 pm

by thisisnotaspoon

No one's mentioned cheeper?

I imagine making a tube (which is what the fork blades are) is easier than making a structure where the only opening is the top of the steerer tube? That and 100% carbon forks don't appear on cheep bikes. That's not to say they're better or worse, just cheeper?

Geoff
Posts: 5395
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
Location: Canada

by Geoff

+1 on cost. The technology in a carbon fork dropout that can withstand the repeated compressive forces exerted by the QR as well as the forces generated by the wheel of the bike whilst riding is quite advanced.

topflightpro
Posts: 829
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:35 am

by topflightpro

I also think that it may be easier to construct lawyer tabs on aluminum dropouts.

I've noticed that on the last three frames that have come into my house (models from 2009, 2011, 2012), all have aluminum dropouts with large lawyer tabs. The two frames prior to that, in 05 and 07, had carbon dropouts and really no lawyer tabs.

I do kind of like the aluminum tabs as well, simply because on the nights before early races, I often will leave my bike sitting on the ground with the front wheel removed.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Post Reply