Hi. I was hoping all could help me choose which carbon fork to get for my cyclocross bike. I currently have an 2002 Alpha Q CX fork on my "A" bike but I want to upgrade my "B" bike to a carbon fork too. I'm thinking of either another Alpha Q CX, a Ritchey WCS, or an Easton EC90X. Please vote or leave you thoughts on which one and why.

This appears to be a straight forward decision. Your A bike already has the Alpha Q, you want to upgrade your B bike, and the Alpha Q IS an upgrade. Plus, you want both CX bikes to be as similar as possible handling-wise in the event that you need to switch bikes mid-race. Forget the other options, go with the Alpha Q.

The problem (if you want to call it that) is the Alpha Q is the heaviest of the three forks. Being that this is the weight weenies forum I'm trying to keep that in mind. I guess I'm playing weight vs. price vs. function. Price wise, the Easton and the Alpha are a little more expensive than the Ritchey. Ritchey is also claimed to be the lightest. I like the looks of the Alpha and the Easton much better than the Rithey, and I do want both bikes to handle as similar as possible. Bike "A" and "B" are identical frames.

sure the alpha q is a nice fork! but for the price of one, you could possibly get 2 python(4za, ridley) forks, they're below 400 grams. i haven't heard of anyone breaking it. ritchey products are nice, but i've just heard that the fork has a slightly different rage/stack height than most other forks. the most important thing is that your two bikes are totally equal, so 1. possibility is another alpha q, second is two pythons...

Thanks Simon. I kind of forgot about the 4ZA fork because you really don't see many of them here in the US. Actually I don't think I've ever seen one that wasn't on a Ridley. I'll have to check and see what an aftermarket 4ZA costs here.

Also, thanks for the tip about the Ritchey measuring up differently.

the 4za fork isnt cheap in the US---$380. http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesomewh ... /1990/5763

I just bought a barely used Alpha Q for $250 on ebay. no rides on it yet though.

jeremy

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Some folks love these.

I prefer the Easton fork.

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http://ircbike.blogspot.com/

if your worried about cost vs weight, your on the wrong board. sorry.

How so? If we all bought the single lightest component there wouldn't be much to discuss would there? The cost, weight, intended application and reliability of a product all have a bearing over the products we select for our bikes, IMO.

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Middle ring all the way

They are both good forks and light too. How come no one seems to like them?

It looks like the general consensus is to go with another Alpha Q. That was my original thought, especially because it would make both bikes the same. However, since Alpha moved their manufacturing to the Far East this year the forks are now a little heavier and that was my hold up. Maybe I'll see if I can get a good deal on ebay. Oh, and I'm still waiting for my friend who owns a bike shop that sells Ridley to get me a price on the 4ZA fork as it seems very similar in design to the Alpha. Thanks for all the opinions!

been riding a wcs for a few months, 413 grams cut down, rides real nice, no complaints.

Yeah, the Ritchey is the right price, and definitely nice and light, but personally I think it is rather ugly. Not sure why but that's what I think. I started to look at the Reynolds fork which is really nice too but now I've decided I may just wait until next year and try to get all new frames/forks and see what is available then.