Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

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Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Des49 »

Hi,
I had a little creak the last few days that I just put down to the bottom bracket. Yesterday I had a little bit of mudguard rub on a hill, so just stopped and straightened the stays a touch, easy to knock them after all.

Then this morning about to jump on the bike and saw a line by the left fork end...
D42_8453.jpg
D42_8456.jpg

So my next problem is to find a replacement 700c, 1" threaded steel fork. Would be nice to have mudguard eyes, probably best to stick to cantilever bosses. As the frame is a cyclocross frame I assume the fork is a bit longer than normal.

D42_8449.jpg

There do seem to be a few choices on eBay, but none that I have found seem great quality. Probably not worth getting a custom fork made up, the frame is pretty old and may break next. The old fork is aluminium with a steel steerer, but steel would seem a good way to go for the replacement.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent fork that will ride well?
Thanks.
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foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by foxyrider »

Raleigh offer a variety of options but there again your local frame builder is just as good - they might even have a basic fork laying about you could get cheaply.

You could of course drop a carbon fork in - Ambrosio for example do some with mudguard clearance.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Brucey »

IIRC the fork ends on alans are bonded in. If you can buy/make/repair a suitable fork end it could be bonded into the extant fork. At one time there were bike shops that would take on this kind of repair; for example Alans were used in CX and needed repairs quite often.

A steel fork will be fine but will probably be a bit stiffer than the original one.

cheers
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RickH
Posts: 5834
Joined: 5 Mar 2012, 6:39pm
Location: Horwich, Lancs.

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by RickH »

Brucey wrote:IIRC the fork ends on alans are bonded in. If you can buy/make/repair a suitable fork end it could be bonded into the extant fork. At one time there were bike shops that would take on this kind of repair; for example Alans were used in CX and needed repairs quite often.

A steel fork will be fine but will probably be a bit stiffer than the original one.

cheers

The ends don't look bonded from the pictures. Are you confusing them with Vitus which, BITD, did have bonded fork ends (plus fork crown & frame tubes - I don't think there was a join on my 1988 979 that wasn't bonded).
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Brucey »

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yostumpy
Posts: 994
Joined: 29 Oct 2010, 6:56pm

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by yostumpy »

I have a pair of forks on my 'dead' Bob Jackson, 2014 world tour. Amber flam in colour, 1" threaded, canti bosses,32mm tyres, rack / guard bosses, Off a 24" frame, dead because of a side /rear impact that twisted the frame. If your interested that is :)
Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Des49 »

Thanks all for your replies and ideas.

I don't have a local frame builder, this would have to be by mail order and shipped to me. But still an idea if the price was ok and lead time not too long. Roberts has been my framebuilder in the past, but of course he has retired and a fork by someone like that probably isn't justifiable on a possibly 28 ish yr old Al frame.

I always understood that the Alan frames were both bonded and screwed for the main tubes, the fork ends are probably just bonded. Give the frame its due, it has lasted well. Someone I knew did have an Alan carbon frame with carbon tubes and bonded Al lugs, it kept debonding and I think he was refunded after a couple of repairs.

yostumpy wrote:I have a pair of forks on my 'dead' Bob Jackson, 2014 world tour. Amber flam in colour, 1" threaded, canti bosses,32mm tyres, rack / guard bosses, Off a 24" frame, dead because of a side /rear impact that twisted the frame. If your interested that is :)


Quite possibly very interested, would seem a quality alternative to some eBay cheapie. If designed for a carrier then may be a bit stiff but the mudguard eyes will be welcomed. A 24" frame will be a lot larger than my frame size, having just roughly measured the fork needed the leg length is 380mm, with the steerer tube being 175mm. The fork for the Alan does seem 10mm longer than the forks on my other road bikes, assume for the CX clearance.
LuckyLuke
Posts: 374
Joined: 10 Jun 2010, 11:54am

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by LuckyLuke »

Hi Des, I can recommend Winston Vaz, framebuilder, in Hither Green, South London. I've used him several times for repairs / braze ons etc over the years and he's always done a grand job. He's ex-Roberts amongst others.
Best wishes,
Luke
Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Des49 »

yostumpy wrote:I have a pair of forks on my 'dead' Bob Jackson, 2014 world tour. Amber flam in colour, 1" threaded, canti bosses,32mm tyres, rack / guard bosses, Off a 24" frame, dead because of a side /rear impact that twisted the frame. If your interested that is :)


PM sent regarding your forks.
Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Des49 »

LuckyLuke wrote:Hi Des, I can recommend Winston Vaz, framebuilder, in Hither Green, South London. I've used him several times for repairs / braze ons etc over the years and he's always done a grand job. He's ex-Roberts amongst others.
Best wishes,
Luke


Thanks for pointing that out Luke, I looked him up and arrived at the Varonha website. In the family we have 5 Roberts frames, dating back to 1987. Winston may well have built some of these.

While getting a custom fork for the Alan frame may be a bit over the top I am considering a new pair of forks for my Roberts White Spider MTB. This is also an old frame and is used for general use and touring now when I sometimes clamp on a front rack with U clamps. These are not ideal and I find that the forks flex and twist when the panniers are loaded, after all they were not designed for this! But I do need a custom fork as mine were built up with extra head clearance in case I ever decided to add the then new fangled suspension forks to the bike (which I never did) and are 1" threaded. Wish I got around to doing this before Chas retired, he would have had all the measurements probably to hand.

Interested to see the Varonha website even has a DOGSBOLX frame in the gallery, sure Roberts won't mind the name continuing!
Des49
Posts: 799
Joined: 2 Dec 2014, 11:45am

Re: Fork replacement needed for Alan CX frame - recommendations please

Post by Des49 »

Just an update on this. Thanks to yostumpy I now have a fetching pair of Bob Jackson 631 forks on my bike.
Through a mutual friend I was put in touch with someone who recut the steerer threads lower for a bottle of wine and box of chocolates.

Been out for 3 rides now and the ride is nice, maybe a touch less twitchy up hill out of the saddle due to a slightly greater trail, but don't notice anything else.
Mudguards are more secure too compared to the P clips I had to use before.

So well pleased.

Alan002.jpg
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