Look, Felt, and now Argon 18 have all gone to the one piece fork. Look originally tried this style fork out several years ago and it never took off. If it is soo much better why did Look discontinue making it only to bring it back 10 years later ? I’m just curious to hear from people who have tried the Bayonet sytle fork if there really is any benefit or is it just the latest gimmick to sell bikes ?
Look, Felt, and now Argon 18 have all gone to the one piece fork. Look originally tried this style fork out several years ago and it never took off. If it is soo much better why did Look discontinue making it only to bring it back 10 years later ?
??
The Look X86 TT and track frames have used their proprietary fork/stem system continuously since its introduction.
Stiff and aero.
proprietary
expensive
possibly harder to pack, possibly
proprietary
expensive
scares people, seriously, i had one girl panic when we took her front wheel off her bike “is that supposed to COME OFF like that!!!”
.
Curious about the aero benefits. Why would the bayonet style fork be more aero. In other word why couldn’t the current shape of the integrated forks front end be duplicated by a nornal frame?
Styrrell
Depending on how the rules are written, you could probably use the depth of the fork to get around the UCI regs on tube depth and aspect ratios in the head tube area.
I’ve ridden and worked on Felt’s Bayonet front end on the 2007 DA and the newer B2 and and B2 Pro.
The benefits include noticeably better front end stiffness.
Now, you have to ask yourself, has front end stiffness ever been something you’ve wanted more of? Maybe not- until you try it. My initial reaction to integrated front ends was that they were a solution to a problem that didn’t exist. It should also be said that not all integrated front ends are created equal and there are substantial structural differences between the older Look integrated front end and the newer generation from Felt and Argon 18.
There has always been a tendency to excuse the handling of triathlon geometry bikes- they handle quietly and sluggishly because they need to be stable at speed. That being the status quo, when you go to Alcatraz, Monaco 70.3 and other events with technical bike courses you use a raod bike with shortie aerobars.
The improved front end stiffness of an integrated front end means the bike is actually listening to what you are telling it with steering input through nine inches of aerobar- a very long steering lever. You don’t have to excuse the handling anymore- it is stable at speed but responsive on descents and in cornering.
An added benefit to Bayonet is that it is easier to get the front end higher. For some athletes that is important.
The drawbacks to an integrated front end include weight in some cases, although the added weight varies with the brand/model/design. Added cost and proprietary technologies that make you dependant on the original manufacturer and their potential whims to change a design and not support previous technology with repair parts.
Check out this link: http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/reviews/feltB2Pro.shtml
One of several noteworthy features on the 2008 Felt B2 Pro package is the Bayonet front end. Bayonet is designed to achieve several design goals: Make the front end more aerodynamic, make the front end stiffer and stronger and make the bike ride better. We rode and maintained Bayonet front ends for a year before we penned this opinion: We’ve learned the Bayonet front end is a valid design with several advantages. The Bayonet makes the front of the bike noticeably more solid and secure. If you have ridden a triathlon bike with aerobars and the front end seemed soft, insecure and unpredictable the Bayonet front end will improve that sensation. If you are a timid or unsure bike handler the Bayonet will inspire confidence because you feel more connected. If you do loop courses with frequent turns or technically demanding courses then Bayonet will help you negotiate the corners at higher speeds with greater confidence and control. A Bayonet equipped bike also descends with a more confident feel and has better front braking due to the stiffer brake mounting point. 
The Bayonet is about front end stiffness, stability and control. I thought this bike climbs, steers and brakes better than any triathlon bike with the added strength and security of the unified B2 Bayonet front end. An out-of-the-saddle effort is confident and exhilarating. Steering inspires a feeling of safety, stability and sureness.
The bayonet is maintenance free and easy to make positional adjustments to.
The Bayonet front end works by reducing the number of total front end components and integrating them into fewer unified units making the entire front of the bike stiffer. As a result there is basically less to wiggle, less to flex.
A key challenge to moderating bike steering is that the rear wheel is enclosed in a triangle on the frame (the “rear triangle”) holding it in good lateral alignment with the frame as the bike is leaned over during a turn. The front wheel is not in a triangle, supported by a single strut on either side- the fork blades. As you lean into a turn the front fork blades flex differently than the rear triangle. The result is the steering gets worse the harder you turn. The rear wheel is at one lean angle while the front wheel is at another. Until a rider corners long enough on the same bike to learn this response it is an unsettling revelation. This is part of the reason a new rider on a high speed descent at Ironman Wisconsin, Ironman Lake Placid, the Monaco 70.3 bike course or the Alcatraz bike course might shy away from a flexible front end triathlon bike. I would consider the Bayonet equipped B2 Pro an advantage on technical bike courses like those, even over a road bike front end. The bike simply handles easier- it is like a car that is easier to drive. Easier requires less energy. Less energy means either more efficient or faster. Especially in longer events the improved handling of the Bayonet front end could be an advantage worth considering. There are also the practical considerations of making it easier to reach a gel pack in your back pocket or grab a bottle while riding one-handed through an aid station. The Bayonet front end makes real-world riding situations feel noticeably more secure and steady. If you’ve ever felt sketchy riding in the aero position and reaching for a water bottle or gel pack then you understand the need for the Bayonet front end.
Felt claims the Bayonet front end improves front end aerodynamics. That is impossible for us to verify even if we did have adequate wind tunnel testing at our disposal. Felt did use extensive flow-analysis and wind tunnel testing to develop and verify the validity of the Bayonet’s aerodynamics. For now, you either take their word for it or not.
The Bayonet uses its own stem with adjustable rise angle. Three stem lengths are supplied with each Felt B2 Pro so your bike fitter can achieve the desired reach. A good Felt dealer will have all sizes in stock from 80 mm to 120 mm. Additionally the front portion of Oval’s adjustable stem clamps to the Bayonet front end and has been used by some Felt sponsored athletes who wanted a stem alternative for additional fit options.
Some added practical benefits we’ve discovered with the Bayonet front end on the 2008 Felt B2 Pro is that once the unit is assembled and adjusted it never needs to be touched again. When you pack the bike in a flight case you simply pull the cockpit (aerobars and base bars) out of the stem by opening up the front clamp. You never need to touch the headset adjustment. For people who are worried about assembling and disassembling their bike for travel this is a big advantage. Another benefit is that your handlebars can never be crooked. They are held in perfect alignment with the front wheel once the bike is assembled.
The entire Bayonet assembly remains intact for flight case travel. This makes flying with your bike easier than ever.
The #1 reason I think is cost, these front ends are not supported by standard OE available components, they require innovation where inexpensive parts already exist.
Getting a $30 headset and a $40 stem is perfectly acceptable for the market today, why would anyone want to develop a frame that uses a $100 headset and $350 stem?
There were tricycles made at the turn of the previous century with hinged front ends. The LOOK is much different than the Felt as LOOK uses a hinged frame, Felt’s Bayonet is just a fork, and can be installed on their regular frames, it is not proprietary.
With regards to the aero benefits, I’ll agree it is in the category of ceramic bearings, dimples, etc, its doesn’t change a sail to a knife edge. It does allow as another poster has mentioned to get around the 3:1 rule the UCI mandates, in fact with the fillet rules you can more than double that aspect ratio. Without giving too much away, it also allows for better airflow management of the entire bike and body equation…and like forest, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
-sD