Thursday, December 10, 2009

Great article about fork chatter

I have had to explain this about 1000 times in my life, so here it is in nice understandable terms (with a graphic, even!) from Lennard Zinn at Velonews.

In short, it's not the fork, it's the brake. Gotta love the mini-Vs!

3 comments:

a fist pumping chimp said...

With my Waltworks tapered disc fork, yeah, I notice some shudder on quick and steep descents. The fork flexes and sometimes whispers, "modulate the brakes and you will live," and then my non-separated shoulder begs, "do as it says, please!" I oblige and all is once again right in the world.

word verification: obamanomics

aaron w said...

Interesting article. I commute on an inexpensive single speed road bike with cantis and the fork chatter is severe. I've been invited on some single speed road rides but have always declined because the thought of riding that bike down a mtn pass scares me. I always wondered why the chatter. I'll see if I can attach a cable stop to my fork crown.

Lance said...

Walt,

I had terrible chatter on the CX bike you built me, so I bought the brake booster from Paul. That helped a little, but not completely. I called and talked to Paul and he said that if I turn the pads around backwards and go with a lot of toe-in that it might help. It did, now I only get it when going fast, and for me that is never.

In the article Lennard talks about shortening the pads, and by turning the pads around and increasing the toe, I think that I am getting the same effect the pad contacts the rim gradually as I brake.

It does take a little time to get used to the process and modulating the front/back to slow down b/c the front brake is now not as powerful, but for cross, at my cat, it works well.

lance.