Early MTB forks... What are they called?

[tee-one]

My old team coloured raleigh, has the usual curved raleigh forks. But im trying to find something to do with the bike. And wouldnt mind making it appear earlier than it is... I.e use a racing style fork with a crown....
Klunker sorta style....
What would that sorta fork be called? Or does it not have a name?

 

[Dr S]

You thinking of a Biplane fork like an early stumpjumper or saracen?

Most Klunkers used either a Schwinn derived fork with a fork brace/ Truss Rods or a Cooks Bros / Tange TX straight blade fork. Some used drum brakes, the Schwinn forks could be fitted with clamp on canti mounts and the Cooks / Tange forks often had canti mounts brazed on.

 

[1988_Ben]

Something like this maybe:

http://picasaweb.google.com/11590254907 ... 4363021410

 

[tee-one]

Something like this maybe:

http://picasaweb.google.com/11590254907 ... 4363021410

Yeah somthing like that...

Basically i know its not realy clunker, But sorta a more modern take on a clunker if thats even possible? lol....

 

[tee-one]

You thinking of a Biplane fork like an early stumpjumper or saracen?

Most Klunkers used either a Schwinn derived fork with a fork brace/ Truss Rods or a Cooks Bros / Tange TX straight blade fork. Some used drum brakes, the Schwinn forks could be fitted with clamp on canti mounts and the Cooks / Tange forks often had canti mounts brazed on.

If thats the one that look sorta like wider racing bike forks from the early 80's then yeah lol

 

[dyna-ti]

You're not thinking of the u.g.l.i. forks are you :?

 

[Repack Rider]

When Tom Ritchey started building mountain bikes in 1979 he had to design a fork crown wide enough for the big tyre. The Specialized fork in the photo is a cast imitation of Tom's fabrication in which he used two pieces of flat stock joined at the bottom of the steer tube.

 

[1988_Ben]

When Tom Ritchey started building mountain bikes in 1979 he had to design a fork crown wide enough for the big tyre. The Specialized fork in the photo is a cast imitation of Tom's fabrication in which he used two pieces of flat stock joined at the bottom of the steer tube.

CK - do you know what led to future crowns becoming 'single layer' ? Was it just better materials, or through trial and error to save weight ? Maybe tyres just got a bit narrower, I mean they used to be proper ballon tyres in the 70's right ?!

 

[Repack Rider]

CK - do you know what led to future crowns becoming 'single layer' ? Was it just better materials, or through trial and error to save weight ? Maybe tyres just got a bit narrower, I mean they used to be proper balloon tyres in the 70's right ?!

You are describing a cast fork crown.

When Tom started building mountain bikes, there were no cast crowns, so he fabricated a solution. There were also no cast lugs for the tube sizes and angles he used either, but Tom was one of the few lugless builders who didn't need them.

After mass production began, lug sets were worth making, and fork crowns became readily available, although Tom did not use them.

 

[hydorah]

Old Skool, I mean ancient Skool forks

Most people call them 'lugged forks' or sometimes 'three piece forks' or as has already been stated 'cast crown forks'

The more modern ones where the legs join the steerer each side are known as 'Unicrown forks' or 'lugless forks'

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