Aftermarket Road Bike Forks

Although road bikes are pretty simple machines - it does have some incredibly important parts - one of the most important, being road bike forks. These forks deliver power and steering control over the front wheel. Many of our customers choose to upgrade their road bike forks, to not only benefit from improved control and steering, but also to improve comfort as well as shaving off weight from the road bike in the process.

There are usually a couple of different reasons for customers coming to us for aftermarket road bike forks. The first group of customers choose a new pair of forks after crashing their bike or damaging their forks, road bike forks - especially carbon fibre forks can carry damage which is impossible to see, but can cause problems and failures further down the line.

The other reason for upgrade is customers who want to benefit from increased performance. That’s why the vast majority of aftermarket forks are of carbon fibre construction. These forks are designed to offer many benefits over older steel, and alloy road bike forks - which are heavier, and pass on more bumps and vibrations onto the rider. Carbon fibre is not only lighter, but also is much better at soaking up the bumps and vibrations of road bike use.

All carbon fibre road bikes however, are not made equal - different types of road bike forks have been engineered for different riding styles and requirements. The very lightest forks, designed for race use - will benefit from a more aerodynamic design, as well as a full carbon fibre design. Bikes which feature a race geometry, fall down with regards to comfort and these race bias forks, with a ‘single piece’ carbon fibre design - with the full fork and component being made from a single piece of carbon fibre, will come at a higher price to buy. Carbon fibre forks designed for endurance bikes and sportive bikes, as well as tourers - feature a more comfort focussed geometry. These forks will also have aluminium components, with the weight saving emphasis being less important. As well as being biased towards comfort over speed, these forks may also allow for extra clearance, which allow road bike users to fit mudguards and wider tyres for winter and training use.

It’s also vital to find a fork which fits your bike, meaning it’s important to know your head tube diameter. Get in touch if you have any questions about which fork will best fit your bike.

Lastly,  upgrading your road bike forks is a great way of improving how your bike rides and handles, but it’s important to look at fork geometry and how that can affect the performance and ride of the bike. Straight blade forks for example, are the most aggressive and responsive type of fork. Curved blade forks on the other hand, are favoured by those looking for more comfort, at the slight expense of stiffness.

The last consideration of course, is colour and price of the forks you want to buy. You can view our full range of aftermarket carbon fibre forks here. If you have any questions about the collection, please do get in touch and we will be happy to advise on the best fork for your requirements.