# Carver Bikes 29er carbon fork - wow!



## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

Just picked up a Carver Bikes carbon fork for my SIR 9. Today was my second ride on it. Dang!!!!!!!! What an improvement over suspension forks. Felt like I was defying gravity while climbing.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Nice price on those puppies too!


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## Tricone (Apr 21, 2007)

The forks look a lot like Exotics, White Bros Rock solids and Nukeproofs. I think all those forks are the basically the same but with different stickers? Are the carvers also the same fork?


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## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

Tricone said:


> The forks look a lot like Exotics, White Bros Rock solids and Nukeproofs. I think all those forks are the basically the same but with different stickers? Are the carvers also the same fork?


When I asked about it, the guys at Carver said it is basically the same fork as White Bros Rock Solid.

I'm still so stoked about how much fun yesterday's ride was I don't even care it's pouring rain right now. It was really a blast to ride rooty, ledgy tech and rock gardens with it, and I immediately noticed the lack of slop from not having a suspension fork.


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## Ryan G. (Aug 13, 2004)

https://carverbikes.com/Forks/forks.html


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## Dscarbs (Feb 1, 2004)

LOOKS VERY NICE.. .I was considering a steel fork for my MCR, but this has me thinking... Is it really 465 mm crown to axle? That would be 5mm shorter then the Niner steel fork.... Does it really quicken up the ride too much with that, or are you good? Is there something I am missing.?


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## ssm-gd3 (Apr 30, 2009)

why are all carbon forks basically the same design? (except Niner, and a few others)


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

ssm-gd3 said:


> why are all carbon forks basically the same design? (except Niner, and a few others)


Simplicity. I'm surprised that someone hasn't taken this design and just put a carbon steerer tube on it. It should shave off a bit more weight, perhaps enough to make it comparable to the Niner.


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

carbon forks:

Pace
Niner
White Bros
Ritchey

Those are the basic four designs of carbon forks, with the Niner the only full carbon fiber top to bottom. The Pace UK is magnesium dropout and the crown is hollow and I believe the first to really produce a unique strong carbon fork - to this day it has not been copied and was subsequently bought out by DT Swiss although Pace UK still maintains their site and was recently selling RC31's in 420 and 440mm lengths!... thirdly, the White Bros and its many many knock off copies re-branding including shimano pro, nuke proof, lynskey, carver, saso, exotic, etc. are all the same (can someone prove they're not rebranded stickers/paint on the exact fork coming from a single factory) - some newer renditions have post mount, older IS and even older IS/v brake. Fourth, Ritchey was cloned by Trigon, and the marketing says monocoque construction including the brake tabs which would mean it competes with the newer Niner fork. However, I've never seen a Ritchey fork in person or even online in images besides the factory image in their marketing.


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## The Avenger (Aug 4, 2005)

On One


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## Dscarbs (Feb 1, 2004)

is there a max rotor size on that fork?


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## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

Dscarbs said:


> Is it really 465 mm crown to axle? That would be 5mm shorter then the Niner steel fork....


if 0.196 inches scares you, you can add a 5mm spacer, or get a Cane Creek S3 Plus HS - bottom race has extra 5mm of stack height.



Dscarbs said:


> Does it really quicken up the ride too much with that, or are you good?


 How can you quicken up a ride "too much"? I like to climb fast. An object in motion likes to stay in motion.


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## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Schmucker said:


> Simplicity. I'm surprised that someone hasn't taken this design and just put a carbon steerer tube on it. It should shave off a bit more weight, perhaps enough to make it comparable to the Niner.


I think someone has - google Exotic Rigid Carbon Forks - I don't think the carbon steerer tube model has proven too reliable for off road use though (at least not in this iteration of a carbon fiber fork). I may be wrong.


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## Dscarbs (Feb 1, 2004)

Scharny said:


> if 0.196 inches scares you, you can add a 5mm spacer, or get a Cane Creek S3 Plus HS - bottom race has extra 5mm of stack height.
> 
> How can you quicken up a ride "too much"? I like to climb fast. An object in motion likes to stay in motion.


ahh, you must ride different trails than me... Slower steering is desired when you are traveling at 40 mph.... helps avoid getting out of control... agreed in tight single track that is good, but not no wide open downhills....thus the question posed...:thumbsup:


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## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

Dscarbs said:


> ahh, you must ride different trails than me... Slower steering is desired when you are traveling at 40 mph.... helps avoid getting out of control... agreed in tight single track that is good, but not no wide open downhills....thus the question posed...:thumbsup:


It's all about what you're used to. When I switched over to wider, stiffer skis this winter, it took a few days to get used to them, but eventually I adapted and was able to reap the benefits of quicker and more powerful gear. That said, there is no such thing as a magic bullet. I don't think I'd want to do a 2,000 ft downhill on a rigid fork, carbon or steel.


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## Dscarbs (Feb 1, 2004)

yeah, but quicker handling doesnt equate neccesarily to increased performance on on mountain bike past a certain point, I just slows you down overall.... Anyone with real world experience with the different fork lengths?


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Dscarbs said:


> is there a max rotor size on that fork?


There's no max rotor size for the OnOne carbon fork. AFAIK, it's the only one with that claim. The rest are restricted to 160mm discs.

WRT the design, it is obviously the cheapest to manufacture. Straight carbon tubes onto stock crowns, with just the dropouts needing to be designed (easily copied) from scratch.


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## pinkrobe (Jan 30, 2004)

Dscarbs said:


> yeah, but quicker handling doesnt equate neccesarily to increased performance on on mountain bike past a certain point, I just slows you down overall.... Anyone with real world experience with the different fork lengths?


I have two of the Exotic carbon forks - one is for a 29 and the other 26, both suspension corrected for 100mm [or something along those lines]. I rode the long fork most of last summer on my Misfit diSSent. It handled great on the descents, not quite as well on the climbs. I went to a flat bar and yanked a couple of spacers out from under the stem - much better. Still, when riding really fast and easy stuff, it felt a little sloppy. I swapped in the shorter fork and it tightened up the handling significantly at speed, and made for point-and-shoot steering.

I have gone back to the long fork for dirt use. It's more forgiving on rough terrain, and with the lower bar height I'm still well-balanced. The short fork would be great for flatter, faster terrain, but that's not what I ride.


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## Dscarbs (Feb 1, 2004)

still liking the Carver fork on your SIR?


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## nspace (May 25, 2006)

MMcG said:


> I think someone has - google Exotic Rigid Carbon Forks - I don't think the carbon steerer tube model has proven too reliable for off road use though (at least not in this iteration of a carbon fiber fork). I may be wrong.


 DT Swiss is releasing the new XR rigid fork (an evolution of the Pace fork) which is magnesium dropouts, and carbon legs, crown and steerer. I'm happy there will be a full carbon fork (segmented style), from a reputable company soon 

Also happy that they finally decided to get back to work on the rigid fork after never releasing one following the acquisition of Pace's forks.


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## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

Dscarbs said:


> still liking the Carver fork on your SIR?


Hell
.
.
.
Yes.

So simple. So light. Purdy too.


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

nspace: I looked at that DT Swiss fork and it's clearly still based off the Pace RC31 forks with the mag or titanium crown/dropout/steerer tube. It appears this is vaporware as the crown has the same square CNC like shape, yet rounded from being wrapped in carbon. Also notice that the carbon on the steerer is different than the gloss of the crown, which would make it appear as its bonded, not monocoque like the other MTB rigid Niner carbon fork. I do like the segmented design, classic, it's just not what I was expecting from DT/Pace this late in the game when road and MTB forks are fully molded as one piece. 

Delamination and glue bond loosening sucks.


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## Scharny (Jul 29, 2005)

*Follow up on fork, after using on and off for most of a season:*

The one drawback (for me) on this particular fork is its rake, or lack thereof. It is so steep that is actually tightens the head-tube angle on my SIR9 frame, which at 72 degrees is already PLENTY steep for the tight, gnarly, rooty, rocky singletrack we have here in Vermont. I would say it's pretty twitchy. Definitely had some spectacular wipeouts while riding it, yet on same trails riding with a locked-out REBA was a breeze. All in all, though, still glad I got it.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

*Only supermodels allowed*

200 pound rider limit?

What, I have to cut off a leg to ride a carbon fork?

Good ol' reliable steel..


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## SeaBass_ (Apr 7, 2006)

arphaxhad said:


> 200 pound rider limit?QUOTE]
> 
> I was dismayed when i read that as well.


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

SeaBass_ said:


> I was dismayed when i read that as well.


Thanks, I feel less "ranty" now. 

But I seriously would like to try a carbon fork on my XXIX.


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## Bear Spleen (Aug 12, 2006)

arphaxhad said:


> 200 pound rider limit?
> 
> What, I have to cut off a leg to ride a carbon fork?
> 
> Good ol' reliable steel..


Carver's a small company, so they can't afford a lawsuit. Better safe than sorry I suppose, although I rode this fork for a full summer on a fully rigid singlespeed when I weighed 245 LBs.


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

arphaxhad: Find a 420 - 440 a-to-c carbon fork. The PACE RC31 comes to mind! (26" suspension corrected) - I rocked it on the XXIX, it rode better than the Fox F80 F29 RLC!!!


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## 1SPD (Apr 25, 2010)

Before reading the entire thread I was going to say that it looks identical to my Rock Solid from White Brothers (only mine is a 26'). Very pleased with mine. Shaved over 2 lbs off my bike when I swapped out my old squish front for it! 

Just remember, all bikes have front suspension once you put your hands on the handlebars!


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

1SPD: True that about the rigid riding arms as suspension. Tell that to a 20 yr old rider versus a 40 yr old rider (if they're even riding still and haven't reverted to SUVs or trucks). 

Last night, was going about 25mph on Haight and bailed hard shoulder elbow knee into the dirty ass street after hitting a pothole when I was distracted by Magnolia brewery scenery. This was riding with arms fully rigid, out of saddle standing, and had 80mm locked out front fork. Goes to show, as 1SPD says, you are suspension!


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## 1SPD (Apr 25, 2010)

Just an fyi, I am 39 and will be 40 in March. I just started riding rigid this year and love it. I will admit that the trails I ride are doable with a rigid. There are other trails around that would pose a greater challenge and I simply stay away from those. Which isn't that bad since they are farther away. Maybe in a few years I will go back to a suspension. Either that or a 29er.


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

1SPD said:


> Just remember, all bikes have front suspension once you put your hands on the handlebars!


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NIce!! 
My new sig....May I?


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## 1SPD (Apr 25, 2010)

Have at it ^^^


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## blak_byke (Jun 21, 2006)

Thank you sir! 

Hell, I'll be 41 on Friday and will be building a couple of rigids (geared and SS) over the weekend to join in on the fun....and I already have the parts.


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