Fork rake radius

[pruckelshaus]

IMO, there are pleasing to the eye fork rake radii, and then there are those that are not.  The "new" Betty falls into the latter category:

http://gallery.mailchimp.com/2090e897f8c7f8d7170a52bbd/files/bet1.1.jpg?utm_source=Current+Members&utm_campaign=96a454b30c-New_Foy_Sizes2_17_2012&utm_medium=email 

Does anyone else think this looks like the forks got slammed in a car door?

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I suppose.  I do like the color, though.

Pete

[Cyclofiend Jim]

Could also be a trick of the angle.  I thought I saw a side view image, but can't lay my mouse upon it this morning.

- Jim / cyclofiend

[cyclotourist]

Ohhh, that's not so pretty...

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[Pondero]

Hmmm. I thought that the traditional pretty Rivendell fork rake was
about as "no compromise" with Grant as lugs. I guess not, and that's
unfortunate.

A nice fork rake must be very expensive, because so few production
fork makers do it.

[PATRICK MOORE]

It does look very odd and not very nice; I wonder if Jim is right about the viewing angle.

Me, I do like the classic tightly radiused bend -- even more evident on many low trail bikes -- but I also like (shamfacedly confessing) straight forks on the right frame, tho' only if the legs have the right taper.

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[Matthew Snyder]

I don't think it's a trick of a strange viewing angle. Here's the new
Betty fork viewed from the side:

http://gallery.mailchimp.com/2090e897f8c7f8d7170a52bbd/files/bet2.3.jpg?utm_source=Current+Members&utm_campaign=96a454b30c-New_Foy_Sizes2_17_2012&utm_medium=email

On Feb 18, 11:10 am, PATRICK MOORE <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It does look very odd and not very nice; I wonder if Jim is right about the
> viewing angle.
>
> Me, I do like the classic tightly radiused bend -- even more evident on
> many low trail bikes -- but I also like (shamfacedly confessing) straight
> forks on the right frame, tho' only if the legs have the right taper.
>

> On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 5:54 AM, pruckelshaus <pruckelsh...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > IMO, there are pleasing to the eye fork rake radii, and then there are
> > those that are not.  The "new" Betty falls into the latter category:
>

> >http://gallery.mailchimp.com/2090e897f8c7f8d7170a52bbd/files/bet1.1.j...

[James Warren]

I think most of us know that Grant would prefer it to be as nice a curve as possible. If there is a need to speculate about the significance of this one possibly showing some compromise, please ask Rivendell or him directly about it.

Also, I'm not claiming that anyone has said anything saucy. I just wanted to suggest this so that the facts are known before any speculative public discussion.

-Jim W.

[dougP]

It seems premature to form an opinion before seeing the built-up
bike. I'd reserve judgement until I saw the entire visual, hopefully
in person. Photos somehow don't quite tell the whole story.

dougP

[Will]

I think you'd have to ride it... which I am quite sure the Riv folks have done. And I'm guessing it rides great.

Will

[Forrest]

Seems fine to me. Bet it rides wonderfully. I have a lot of faith in RBW's commitment to quality in/with/under/through everything they make, design, or sell.

Now, about that problem of world peace (from a Rivendell perspective, that is) ...

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

It's understandable that such a thing could happen. Imagine someone at Riv prying open the crates of forks, which have been ordered for months, and discovering the bend isn't quite what they wanted. Option A is to live with it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, imperfection is perfection, and these will work just fine. Option B is to insist the fork people make it "right", which likely involves some cost in dollars, vendor relationship, and most importantly several more months of waiting. During the wait, Riv sits on a warehouse of frames, parts, and accessories that are unsellable without forks, and cash flow takes a huge hit. Option A sounds good to me! In that case, I'd ride it!

On the other hand, maybe GP likes his forks that way now. Or maybe it was a concession to the price-point. In that case, I'd ride it!

I enjoy following and contributing to this group, but it loses some value if it devolves into a cheering section for Riv. Some of these forks obviously have a different bend, and some people don't like it. That's fine. Rivendell does, after all, cater to a subset of the cycling population that is concerned about a particular aesthetic. It's not a photographic accident or something to keep quiet about. I prefer the smooth bend, too, but I don't buy bikes to hang on the wall as art pieces. All of my bikes have some imperfection or compromise, which I promptly forget about when I start pedaling!

[Bruce Herbitter]

Some years back, Grant wrote at a little length on fork bends and how he was working with the new supplier in Taiwan to get the bends just right. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and while I don't get hung up on fork radii, I don't like straight leg forks at all. All of my bikes have varying fork curves. The Ram is about perfect IMO, the Saluki a close second. The Road std and a Maruishi-for-Nashbar have less than I would like, while a B-stone has too much. They ALL ride great. They also all have stays without any crimps in them, which is a deal killer for me. Like I said, everyone's idea of just right is different.

Jim is right about not being zombie sycophants mouthing the praises of Walnut Creek bikes. We're here becuase we generally like them and the aesthetic that they rise from, but we won't always like every thing that comes along from RBW WHQs. That's fine too. There's always enough stuff there for me to like. I won't live long enough to need another bike (that is, wear out any of the current stable mates) but I send others their way fairly often.

On Sun, Feb 19, 2012 at 3:14 PM, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery <thil...@gmail.com> wrote:

...Option A is to live with it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, .....

[Mojo]

It was Rivendell/GP that brought fork bend into my consciousness.

I do not think ride quality is noticably compromised by a dog-leg fork bend.

But it was Rivendell who made me appreciate a low tight fork bend as in the Nobilette-made fork on the Legolas http://www.flickr.com/photos/79695460@N00/5598979996/in/set-72157607471577085 (hard to see here)

 

Is the Betty Foy made in Taiwan?

My Surly LHT was Taiwan made with its dog-leg fork

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79695460@N00/5268867525/in/set-72157607471577085/

One of the side benefits of changing the LHT handling with a new fork was to get a more aesthetic fork bend

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79695460@N00/5269479652/in/set-72157607471577085/

LHT fork comparison

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79695460@N00/5268866551/in/set-72157607471577085/

 

All of this is of the aesthetic of what makes a nice looking bike, from this group's perspective.

Fork bend and fender line do not effect performance, but for some folks including GP these are important points.

I think Jim Thill's option A nicely explains the current offering....

[Bruce Herbitter]

Your new LHT fork looks very nice

[William]

My Bombadil is the nicest looking fork rake in my stable.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/5463436986/in/set-72157623611013487 

second place in my stable goes to a non-Rivendell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/6442282159/in/set-72157628094782662/ 

The Hilsen is pretty good, if not absolutely perfect.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/5550125087/in/set-72157624977899459 

[newenglandbike]

William, that bombadil's color is badass.   

[Michael Hechmer]

I would think that a continuous curve would be better looking but also more expensive and considering how aggressively this frame is priced, it's hard to fault it.  Anyway, I considered buying one for my wife, since I think it's a beautiful bike and I think she would probably prefer a step through frame.  But she says she is pretty happy with her early '80s Sequoia and also saw the Betty as more of an urban bike, which doesn't describe Westford, Vt, a town of 2,000 souls.

Michael