Well there is no new bike for me this year, but there is some cash burning a hole in my pocket, or at least the need to make my old bike feel new again.
this will be the summer of my road bike, and I’m looking at upgrading a few of the parts mostly for my own personal satisfaction of having a cool bike, but I would also like to get some benifits from my investment.
Currently I have a Reynolds Pro Ouzo carbon/carbon fork circa 2002 on my bike and was thinking of upgrading to the EC90 SL or SLX (what’s another $100 for 50grams between friends?). The question is, am I really gaining anything other than a very little bit of weight (from old for to new fork)? I was hoping to get a little more stiffness out of the front end with the upgrade. Also is it really that much better to go with the SLX over the SL? Other than the weight do they perform any different? is there a better choice out there?
if you’re a heavier rider you may find a light fork to feel a bit flexy
Aerodynamics. For my road bike I chose the Reynolds Ouzo Pro Peloton model over the regular model for this reason. I think they’ve discontinued the Peloton model now.
They’re both good forks. I’d be surprised if you notice any significant difference. But it’s probably not a bad idea to replace a carbon fork every five years or so either.
Ah, the age old weight v aero question presented in a different manner. Pete, I had the OUZO pro (aero) on my Kestrel 200 and have the SLX on my r2.5. I didn’t have any issues with the Reynolds but enjoy the SLX on the r2.5. I would give Tom a ring at the shop and ask his opinion since you will probably be buying from him anyway. FWIW don’t be put off by the matt finish on the SLX I had mine lacquered to match the bike and it’s fine.
I actually like the matte finish since it is going on the Ghisallo which has the brushed Ti finish, plus it will match the new seatpost it just put on. I’m not too concerened about the aero, or the weight really (but I woudl not want to go heavier) I’d just like it to stiffen up the front a little bit. I’m kinda hoping that the difference between '02 technology and '07 technology will help with this.
I went from the Easton aero fork (very rapidly and much to my chagrin at 85mph on the Northway headed to LP) to the Ouzo Pro.
I like the Ouzo Pro better, even if it doesn’t look quite as “fast” as the Easton fork.
(yes, I know you were asking about the non-aero SL or SLX versions, but I can’t imagine there’s a huge difference, other than price, between the 3)
The front end of my bike feels more planted and solid than it did. YMMV.
Did I mention? Save yer $. That’s not really an upgrade.
i can’t compare the easton with the ouzo pro, but i know that when i switched from my old Time fork to an ouzo pro, it was like night & day. i fought the urge to believe it, telling myself it was all in my head, but then i kept finding myself on the aero bars descending hills that used to require me to be on the hoods or drops before. i can’t recommend this fork highly enough.
I’ve heard the ZLX can be not as stiff as some others. One fork to look at is the Ritchey WCS, it’s around the same price as the Eastons and comes in at 320 grams, most people say it’s fairly stiff. Herbert has it on his Ghisallo I believe.
How heavy are you, Murph? I would imagine it would have a being on it. I am 150lbs (typically) and have never experienced anything other than a very poised and capable performance even in the Alps.
I’m typically 5-10 lbs heavier than you are (only 5 lbs at the time this happened, since I was 2 days out from IMLP, grrr!).
I’m not saying that I didn’t like the Easton, I did. But like Dawhead sed, descending on the Ouzo Pro was even more confidence inspiring. My first ride w/ it was on the bike course at LP, and I hit the descent at Keene like I’d been riding that fork for years, I felt like I could take a nap in the aerobars even at 50 mph and w/ wet roads.
Who knows, maybe it’s just the 50 extra grams that make it feel that way, I can’t say.
“Feel” is so subjective, but I hafta say, I do like the feel of my bike better now than before.
But my main point to the OP was, if anything, that fork swap is at best a lateral, not really an upgrade per se. There are better ways to spend that $.
AND - if you are ever going to travel with your bike in a Thule fork rack, then you do NOT want an Easton fork, or you risk what happened to me. I now have a very expensive bottle opener :-p
Since the Ouzo has metal dropouts w/ “lawyer tabs” vs. CF, it’s totally kosher to roof rack it w/ no worries.
As with all things based on opinions more than facts, YMMV.
I prefer the Easton fork. It’s light, has attractive lines, and it is plenty stiff for my 190lb frame. The downside - it has way too many decals. I have the Reynolds ouzo pro fork as well, and it is very comfortable, but not as stiff IMO.
I’ve got both and find the SLX to be VERY flexy. (Keep in mind that I’m north of 200 lbs) But you can feel the flex just leaning on the bars with the bike stopped. Personally, I’d get the SL over the SLX. I’m also interested in the Alpha Q fork. These forks are on my road bikes and I’m not concerned with the deep bladed stuff.
Not that it matters, but I really like the look of the Easton forks. And you can get them in either a matte or gloss finish. I prefer the matte, but have the glossy one.
One more thing, the SLX has the carbon dropouts, and I can’t think of why that’s a benefit. I’d prefer metal ones.
I understand what you are saying, the worst speed wobble I ever experienced was on the Ouzo pro. The choice of wheel and headtube geometry will make a considerable contribution to the handling of the bike which makes it hard to comment subjectively on the fork.
As for putting the bike on a fork rack, my bikes are transported inside the vehicle that’s why estates and MPVs exist
I have the SL and the Ouzo Pro on different bikes. I would say performances are very similar, depending on whether you prefer stiffness or comfort, I would say that I personally find the SL is a bit stiffer and lighter, but a tat less comfortable than the Ouzo.
Is there any sort of weight limit to the Ouzo Pro? I’m about 180 lbs. and considering the Ouzo Pro when my frame comes (especially since they can be had for ~$130 from several places right now for last year’s model).
Cannot help you there, my weight fluctuates between 150-165 lbs. There are however heavier riders on Ouzo Pro in my riding group and I have not heard any complaints in that direction.
