P2 forks

[Kilawayah Child]

Anybody help; I've seen a Kona label on some P2 forks that reads "Investment cast dropouts". What is this?

the stem is stamoed 766 ETV

The stem is also stamped CM/SB but the Kona packaging reads Triple-Butted. What am I looking at?

 

[Andy R]

Here's some info on the investment casting (or lost wax) process.
http://www.cypressindustrial.com/invest ... ocess.html

 

[albash82]

Of the few pairs of P2's i've owned/seen, they've had "CM/TB" stamped on the steerer. I was told by a helpful RBer that the TB stood for Triple Butted. My bro later confirmed this stands for "Chrome-Moly/Triple Butted". Not sure what the ones you've seen could stand for. Could be "Chrome-Moly/Single Butted"? If they're new ones with disc mounts, I hear they don't do these in TB. As far as I know, most retro P2's should be TB as the plain guage ones only came on low-end bikes..

I'm waiting to be shot down in flames here, but that's my opinion/tuppence

 

[Anthony]

I would endorse what Al says.

As you mention Kona packaging, I take it these are new forks and maybe they are now making P2s with just a single change in gauge. Even the old TB forks were a bit of a misnomer, as they were 1.3/0.8/0.5 gauge, which is surely double-butted, but anyway the name TB stuck.

As Al says, all disc P2s have been plain-gauge up to now, as they obviously thought the older 'TB' forks wouldn't be able to withstand the braking forces, especially as disc mounts are right at the bottom where TBs were just 0.5mm thick. Also braking forces are totally lateral, whereas the dropout area had been designed that light when it was mainly intended to withstand forces along the fork blade and a little flex could be a good thing.

Sounds like you could be looking at a bit of an argument between the marketing department and the factory that builds P2s for Kona? Doesn' mean they're not good forks though - whatever specification they now use, I expect they use it for a good reason.