Ritchey Comp Carbon Road Fork

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="005b85a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Big Ring Adventure Team</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Ring Adventure Team"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="black_spire_bash_guard.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Black Spire Bash Guard">Black Spire Bash Guard</A>   |   <A HREF="speed_king.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Continental Speed King MTB Tires">Continental Speed King MTB Tires</A>   |   <A HREF="garmin_edge_305.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Garmin Edge 305">Garmin Edge 305</A>   |   <A HREF="managing_book.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IMBAs Managing Mountain Biking Book">IMBA's Managing Mountain Biking Book</A>   |   <A HREF="ink_well_tattoo.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ink Well Tattoo">Ink Well Tattoo</A>   |   <A HREF="neuvation_wheels.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Neuvation R 28 SL 2">Neuvation R 28 SL 2</A>   |   <B>Ritchey Comp Carbon Road Fork</B>   |   <A HREF="vredestein_se_road_tires.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vredestein SE Road Tires">Vredestein SE Road Tires</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="006d2b83.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="23eafa00.gif" border=0 width="175" height="160" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>Serious cyclists having serious fun!</B></I></div> <div> Big Ring Adventure Team</div> <div> A Division of 53T, Inc.</div> <div> P.O. 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closeout pricing is as low as $125 (Performance Bike).</div> <div> <B>Weight:</B> 440 g with steerer cut to 240 mm.</div> <div> <B>Source:</B> Ordered through <A HREF="http://www.fizzzbikeshop.com/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.fizzzbikeshop.com/">Fizz'z Bike Shop</A>, 312 West Main Street, Madison, 812-273-3499.</div> <div> <B>More info:</B> Ritchey <A HREF="http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/index.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~">Web site</A>.</div> <div> <B>Recommended?:</B> Yes.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="491" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Ratings</div> <div> (1 is lowest, 5 is highest)</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="259"><div> Comments</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Steering</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> *</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> More ride time required before assessing this category</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Comfort</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> *</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> More ride time required before assessing this category</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Weight</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> 4</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> On the light end of average for comparable forks</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Overall Performance</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> *</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> More ride time required before assessing this category</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Ease of Installation</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> 3</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> Nothing tricky or unusual here</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Cost/Value</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> 3</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> Carbon road forks are getting better and cheaper</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="135"><div> Style</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="71"><div> 2</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="259"><div> Black blades. Tame graphics. Same as 90 percent of all such forks.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>My '91 </B><A HREF="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/"><B>Giant </B></A><B>980C Cadex has been relegated to roller work since a heavy crash in 2002;</B> I didn't feel the fork was trustworthy following the impact it sustained. I figured if the fork failed while I was on the rollers, it would be an unpleasant experience but not life-threatening. But with my other road bikes waiting for parts, I chose to take the Giant out on some MNR and WNR events in August 2007. Those rides reminded me how much I enjoyed the bike's crisp handling, lively acceleration, and comfortable ride. Suddenly a replacement fork seemed like a worthwhile investment.</div> <div> The Giant uses a 1” steerer and it's getting hard to find quality forks to fit a 1” steerer, so I was happy to find this model from Ritchey. (It's also available with the now-standard 1 1/8” steerer.) The rake was about the same as the <A HREF="http://www.profile-design.com/" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.profile-design.com/">Profile Designs</A> BRA aluminum fork it was replacing, but the effective length was greater. The Ritchey raised the front of the bike almost a centimeter, which slowed the steering. The change is noticeable - the bike lacks the criterium crispness it had before - but I'm not sure if it's a good change or a bad change or just a change. I'll have to log more miles before I know for sure.</div> <div> One item that's definitely in the “good change” category is the weight loss. The Ritchey Comp is about 200 grams (7 ounces) lighter than the Profile BRA aluminum fork it replaced. With carbon tubes bonded to aluminum lugs, the Giant never was a heavy bike. Although shaving almost another half-pound from the total was hardly necessary, it was a nice bonus. With the new fork, pedals, computer, bottle cages, and an embarrassing accumulation of road spooge, the bike clocks in at 21 pounds 9 ounces.</div> <div> Ritchey's Pro model of this fork sheds another 70 grams or so, but it's available only with the larger steerer. Even if the steerer size would have matched my needs, the Pro has a carbon steerer and I would have had to buy a carbon-specific headset. (Carbon-specific headsets use some sort of expander to anchor the stem. The star-fangled nut commonly used on non-carbon steerers will damage a carbon steerer, which can lead to fork failure.) I was happy with the existing Cane Creek <A HREF="http://www.canecreek.com/aheadsets.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.canecreek.com/aheadsets.html">Aheadset </A>and saw no need to buy a replacement.</div> <div> Installation was easy. Because I was re-using the old headset there would be no change in stack height. And because the fit of my Giant is very good there was no need to change the steerer length. I was even able to re-use the same stack of spacers that had been on the bike. I cut the steerer with a tubing cutter instead of a hacksaw, even though I have Park Tool's <A HREF="http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=49&item=SG%2D6" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.">saw cutting guide</A>. It was just a matter of convenience - the tubing cutter was close at hand. I used Park's <A HREF="http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=50&item=CRS%2D1" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.">tool </A>to drive the crown race into place.</div> <div> Can the typical cyclist perform a fork replacement? Maybe. Having the right tools is a virtual requirement, and those tools aren't cheap. Even with the right tools, there are risks. Cut the steerer too short and the fork is junk; the best you can do is sell it on eBay to someone with a frame smaller that yours. If you're replacing the headset, you have to get the right style for your frame, such as traditional, zero stack, or integrated (excellent illos on the <A HREF="http://www.canecreek.com/headsets_tech.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.canecreek.com/headsets_tech.h">Cane Creek site</A>). Installing a headset is a good way to ruin a frame by distorting the head tube. And failure to follow every detail, such as the proper torquing of stem pinch bolts, can result in catastrophic failure. For most riders it's best to leave the task to the pros at their local independent bicycle dealer.</div> <div> First impressions are based on very few miles. The fork is comfortable, although road feel may be too muted for some riders' tastes. Steering feels almost sloppy. I'm not sure if that's because of the taller front end or the vague feel or fork flex or my imagination. Whether the fork blades' shaping improves aerodynamics is beyond my testing ability, but the Giant felt plenty fast coming down Dugan Hollow. I'll update this review after I get more miles in the saddle.</div> <div> There are lots of good carbon forks out there and prices have plummeted over the past five years or so. But there are precious few good carbon forks with 1” steerers. If, like me, you have a vintage bike worthy of upgrading with a new, 1” carbon fork, the Ritchey Comp is an excellent choice. And do it soon, before there are no 1” forks left on the market.</div> <div> <B><U>Photos</U></B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="3658af20.jpg" border=0 width="650" height="242" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The new Ritchey and the old Profile.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="3678a4e0.jpg" border=0 width="650" height="334" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> On the bike the scratch (red area) looked like it might have been a stress fracture. A closer inspection with the fork off the bike suggested it was probably only a scratch. There was also a lot of galling on the base of the steerer (blue area), although here again there didn't seem to be any suggestion of serious damage related to the 2002 crash. But a visual inspection isn't enough to spot potential problems, so a decision was made to buy a new fork. (Accurate assessment requires such sophisticated testing procedures as Quasar's Process Compensated Resonant Testing. PCRT is the equivalent of Magnafluxing for non-ferrous materials. Both are non-destructive testing methods for detecting flaws, such as cracks. Magnaflux is a division of Illinois Tool Works. ITW acquired Quasar in February 2007. More info from the I<A HREF="http://www.magnaflux.com/index.asp" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.magnaflux.com/index.asp">TW Web site</A>.) </div> <div> <IMG SRC="3698a1e0.jpg" border=0 width="650" height="286" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Due diligence is a good thing and although the odds of someone snatching the old fork out of the trash and using it were essentially zero, I decided to render the fork unusable anyway by cutting off one leg.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>