I'm a bit new here so be gentle. I have been looking into getting one of these for my 2001 CAAD4 for the last weight reduction step. The bike has all 9s DA drivetrain, my custom AC350 wheelset (my build, 1280gm) and Easton carbon bars and seatpost. I am right at 7.2xx kg and this mod will save me ~230 gm.

I ran a search here for Alpha Q sub 3 and found very little. Is there something wrong with this fork, other than the price? I can get one for under $300 and that seems about right for my use. I have some experience in CF composites and the Alpha's bonded threaded insert makes the most sense to me.

BTW, I need 1" so that rules out a few great forks

TIA!

wl

The SUB-3 is one of the few forks I found is good for a tall guy (57cm c-c frame) with a carbon steerer.

I have two fitted to different bikes, and would not hesitate in buying another.

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Ride lightly!

what si the rake on the fork. I am looking at the moment as well. Look makes the HSC3 in 1" 360gm but in a 40 or 45 mm rake.

I like mine. It absorbs road shock less than the last fork I had, but is considerably stiffer during cornering (much nicer for crit racing).

Well, at least the damage to my credit card. Now I have to find a way to pull the crown race off my present fork or grovel with the LBS to do that.

The rake is 44mm which matches my current Prodigy.

I assume you bought the AlphaQ Sub3? Good choice.
I did a lot of research and also posted a carbon fork poll here awhile ago http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1703, and while the AlphaQ wasn't used the most, yet, I found it and the Time Millenium Stiff+ to be the best all around. The new Time Stiff+ (red graphics) is possibly the best, but is apparently impossible to find in USA, and it is also considerably more expensive.

Instead, I bought a Sub3, and I think it's super (but I've not ridden it yet). The test results are good; all riders I asked who had used it love it (some for several or more years); like Ye Olde says it's good for bigger riders; I think the design is excellent and beautiful; and I like the straight legs.

The true weight, however, in 1 1/8" is 371g, uncut, and the glue-in expander weighs 37g.

The Sub3 is available in 1" or 1 1/8" and in 41 or 44mm rake.

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"Gimondi è un eroe umano, che viene sconfitto ma che continua la sua corsa fino a tornare a vincere." - Enrico Ruggeri

I just put a Sub3 in my Dean El Diente. Is a 1" steerer tube, 44mm rake and weighed in at 350g, exactly, in the uncut form. Will finish putting it together tonight and be out on my first ride tomorrow. BTW, paid less than $200 on eBay for it new.

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Just because you are not paranoid doesn't mean we aren't out to get you.
Those who ignore histroy are doomed to repeat it.

What a DEAL! Too late for me and I even went out and bought an electronic scale to estimate my weight savings. That Slice fork I have is a real heavy beast at 595 grams. My setup requires 3mm of spacer so I should save 250 g of weight.

Next diet items are saddle (85g) and IRD Metawires (50g). Awefully close to the 7 kg mark then

Hi - Just a head's up on a possible problem and potentially happy solution with the CAAD 4. I've got one - the RW&B Saeco R1000 from 2000 - love it and have taken good care of it - nothing to brag about on this forum where the weights get insane light but its solidly under 17.5 lbs with cages and computer etc. which ain't too bad for a 63 cm frame. Anyway - I'd recently noticed - luckily without experiencing a catastrophe - that the spacing between my drop outs is way (8mm) too wide and Cannondale has agreed (through my LBS) to replace the frame so I'll be getting an Optimo frame with full carbon SI fork and (I believe) Campy hiddenset for $500. Could have gotten a new CAAD 4 for free, CAAD 5 for $250, Optimo with the C-Dale SI crankset for $1200, six13 for ? Anyway - the fork is supposedly nice and weight comparable to the Alpha Q - so - check the drop outs!

My wheels drop into the dropouts and since I bought the frame alone, brand new in 2001, its impossible to get an exchange Warranty only on complete bikes, IIRC.

Its a Team Issue frame in Viper red with the Saeco logo. I believe these frames were a bit different since it is a bit light for a 56cm, about 1.25 kg IIRC. I didn't have a good scale back then and like a bonehead, I wanted to build it & ride.

3 years later, I still like the ride and despite a few nicks, it looks great. Best of all, its a "sleeper" lightweight. I had a mechanical (pedal cleat broke) once and let the SAG driver rack the bike. She was absolutely amazed at the weight and that was something coming from a CAT3 racer...

In the future, I might consider a new frame but that will be many thousands of miles down the road. I'm still the lightest bike in my pack, now if I can just get the engine to the top

I'd just noticed you had a CAAD 4 and I'm in the midst of this warranty thing so I thought I'd let you know - I wouldn't be considering a new frame at this time if it weren't for the probem and deal - sounds like you've got it all under control - good luck with the fork purchase!

I use a Reynolds cap over the True Temper bonded cap on my Sub3. It works great.






but what I will be ordering is the UltraStar cap from Extralight.

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Cheers,


"Ride lots." -- Eddy Merckx

Click Here to see my Scott CR1.

Careful with that substitution. The shear modulus of the very critical section between the headset and the stem is HIGHLY stressed, in shear. Bonding a nearly solid section of aluminum to bridge this gap increases the shear modulus tremondously. This becomes a great issue when considerable spacers are used to set stem height. The failure mode would be bending and/or torsion.

The other issue, although a minor one, is the application of an expanding fastener in the carbon fiber tube. These wedges induce hoop stress in the carbon tube to provide the tensile resistance. This hoop stress is applied normal to the primary bending stresses in the steerer tube. Unless this wedge is FULLY supported by the clamp of the stem, it could induce fracture of the steerer.

I would stick to the factory insert.

Are you substituting the Alpha Q insert with these?
Because Weisse Luft is correct.
I don't think the Extralite UltraStar or the Reynolds are a good idea on the Sub3.
I researched this idea as well: 3 things:
1) the Sub3 has a very thin wall tube, ergo the long insert they supply.
2) these expanders will load up a very small part of the wall, and could lead to compression, especially if in un unsupported portion (i.e. spacers)
3) voided warranty
You're better off with the AlphaQ insert or perhaps a long one like Modolo, just my $0.02; it's your $375.00.

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"Gimondi è un eroe umano, che viene sconfitto ma che continua la sua corsa fino a tornare a vincere." - Enrico Ruggeri

I recently installed a Sub3 on my bike, and I almost used the UltraStar too. There were three reasons I didn't:

1. I trust True Temper's engineering. They didn't throw in that insert for fun.

2. I wanted to maintain my warranty.

3. I didn't want the steerer to fail at high speed - there's no recovering from that.

My only problem with the insert is that my Sub3, supposedly sub-300 grams, weighs 386g cut to length for my 58cm frame and with the insert installed. Sub3 my ass, barely Sub4! Rides great though ~