I am looking for a new fork and I am wondering if I am not falling for the marketing hype. Is the Reynolds aero pro faster than a Reyonolds ouzo pro? I want to get a faster fork but I am wondering if it is not just a waist of $. I am currently considering the:
Cannondale Slice Aero
Reynolds Aero Pro
Reynolds Ouzo pro
Easton EC90 Aero
I know that there are many other options but these are the only ones that I have found in my budget thus far. If you see any other 700 forks with a long steer tube 45 mm rake please let me know. Any info is appreciated.
Yes, probably, though the difference is likely measured in fractions of seconds. Much of the mass-produced bike market is focused on making bikes that at least appear to be aero. If it doesn’t market well, it won’t sell. I had a recent conversation with a bike builder who said he talks to customers who are buying crap because they want something new, preferably in carbon fiber, and they are not sophisticated enough to tell the junk from the quality.
I ride an Ouza Pro and cannot believe the Pro Aero is anything but a heavier fork that looks aero. If you have a Ouza already you would be wasting your time and money trying to find something that will make a noticeable difference. If you need a fork then the Ouza Pro is a good one. Though I would check to make sure it has the correct rake. Dan and others have mentioned that fork manufacturers are not so great at ensuring the fork is the advertised rake.
Chad
An aerofork can be a good addition to a setup. Don’t fall into the aero benefit trap though. People look at the time savings claims from equipment and think that’s what they’ll get. 40 sec. for a frame, 10 sec. from a fork, 2 sec. from a seatpost, etc. Just realize that you can’t add these things up as the time savings to expect. The whole package will work togther.
Ric
whaddaya mean you can’t just add up the time saving? I figured if I shopped right I could go right from the swim to T2, by just looking at my bike on the way…
I’d say I finish my meals 5 to 10 seconds faster after getting an aero fork.
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Um, that’s not a fork. That’s a threek.
here is some good data.
http://www.biketechreview.com/aerodynamics/aero_forks.htm
Krieg knows what he’s doing and spends a good amount of time in the wind tunnel.
Dan…
Picasso_Bull,
Touche’.
I have a brother-in-law from Idaho who eats with, what I call the “pitch fork” method. It is really interesting to watch. He turns his hand kinda sideways and shovels his food in like nobody’s business. You’ve never seen a cleaner plate after he finishes his third “helpin.”
here is some good data.
http://www.biketechreview.com/...amics/aero_forks.htm
Krieg knows what he’s doing and spends a good amount of time in the wind tunnel.
Dan…
beat my by a minute 
We ROCK!!!
Dan…
We ROCK!!!
Dan…
More than the minions even know
An aero fork is a great investment in terms of aerodynamics. I’d go with either the Oval Jetstream or The Ouzo Pro Aero. The thing with an aero fork is that you KNOW that “clean” air is hitting it. Read the Willett study on BTR. But yes, it is a worthwhile investment.
I rode the new blackwell research “Time Bandit” aero fork with their 100 mm deep wheel at our local Olympic Race and at IM Florida. I had a PR bike split at each. Of course, that with 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee because there are a hundred reasons I may have had a better bike split. I will say that blackwell feels strongly that the this particular aero fork works well with a deep wheel or trispoke to help keep the flow between the fork and the wheel laminar. I have purchased Kraig Whilets data before and he shows some impressive things. Mainly, that certain aero wheels and forks are bad together and will actually slow you down. I think the combo of the deep wheels and the blackwell fork do seem to stabilize the front end, which is another possible benefit. In both races, I rode in a lot of side winds and had no problems with steering in the aerobars. (I also have the Concord bars, all of which I have set up on a Scott Plasma Ltd.-FYI)
I think your question is valid and I disagree with the people who say it does not matter. It is complex, and the time savings probably are not as simple as adding up the numbers from some chart, but that doesnt mean you are stupid for putting aero equipment on your bike. It depends on your goals. The problem is finding out who is not fudging the data about their particular product. Things that look aero often are not. I know that the Oval products and the Reynolds Ouzo Aero have been pretty well tested with a variety of front wheels, and they give good numbers. John Cobb claims that the time bandit fork is much more aero. Whether or not you trust what he says may be an entire thread in and of itself, but I do trust him and for me it has been a great product.
http://www.blackwellresearch.com/p_forks.htm
I rode the new blackwell research “Time Bandit” aero fork with their 100 mm deep wheel at our local Olympic Race and at IM Florida. I had a PR bike split at each. Of course, that with 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee because there are a hundred reasons I may have had a better bike split.
Wow… not your typical “yeah, this helmet was noticeably faster and saved me 7 seconds in a 40k TT” post…
I’m not really sure how he supports his conclusion that aero forks work. If I read his own extrapolations correctly, he is saying that in a 40K time trial at 20 mph you will save 24 seconds with two of the forks and 34 with the other. Add in his own +/- 24 seconds and it looks like he is saying you may or may not save 24-34 seconds. Not very convincing. Certainly not when these forks cost $400.
Chad
here is the important statement for deciding if a new aero fork is worth the money
“An aero fork is a bit further down on the list of equipment that one should address, but if a championship is on the line, the fork under your nose matters. Aero forks work”
dan…
The reason I am conservative on my statements regarding the benefit of an aero fork, is because the data is a little hard to interpret. When I am not out training, I spend my day job as a doctor finishing my fellowship in cardiology. I can tell you from that world that millions of dollars and years of research have failed to answer simpler questions than “which aero fork will be best with my bike, my body, my wheels and course X. And which helps more, and does it matter if I put dimples on it?” Science never translates that easily. Nobody can really answer those questions. But, It is a lot of fun to debate it!
On another note, I do think it is belittling when people make comments like “Well if you are trying to win the Tour, or the world chamionship or whatever or if you can ride 30 mph then you should get it…” After all, in the grand scheme of things, world hunger, Iraq, existential angst, etc, buying even your typical intro tri bike is a tremendous waste. My bike all together would cost over $7000 if I bought it new. Is it worth it? Everyone I know except for my other tri-Geek friends would say hell no! But I really like it. Even though I am a doctor, I am still in training and so I am not a “rich doctor.” I got the money to buy it by moonlighting. My friends spend their money on cars and partying, I spend mine on bikes. Mainly because I can show it off to my ofther tri-Geek friends and we can spend half of a 6 hour bike ride pondering how much my new fork may or may not help in the next race. And when I race, I am not trying to win the tour. However, I am trying to win my age group at the local tri and I have won or lost that by margins of 10 seconds or less on many occasions.
So, wind drag is not a myth. There is overwheling evidence that aero products will make you faster. How much faster is a hard question to answer. How much faster per dollar spent is impossible to answer. If you have the money and it makes you happy, get it and dont let some bitter retro who didnt get a new bike for his 8th birthday make you feel guilty because you bought a new fork. If I sound sensitive, its because for the past 8 years I have listened to and read similar crap. Very rarely do such comments come from people who can ride.
*Hey Icbox *
Chill dude if you’re in reference to the statement I posted, what he’s saying is there is a lot of other things you should work on before you go and spend a ton on money on an aero fork. But if you have done all you can do then the aero fork would be a good idea.
*Here is the entire article *
http://www.biketechreview.com/aerodynamics/aero_forks.htm
*so you can see for your self. And yes he can ride and his bro was a Pro and is in Med school and is the new DS of Toyota United team. *
*And Kriag did work for Spinergy for some time and did a lot of work with wheels and aerodynamics. *
Have fun out there
Dan…