Sunday, January 22, 2012

Bent forks

I am thinking to try bending my forks back into shape and then using 24" mountain bike wheels, only slightly larger than the originals. I have not been able to find replacement forks and a front wheel without sacrificing an entire bike.

Here are the forks, photographed today:



I will seek the opinion of a fitter and turner I know. As I see it, in regular use, they are mostly required to resist flexing in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which they have been bent, so perhaps a slight weakening can be lived with. I guess I'll have to keep my eye on them.

4 comments:

  1. Your local bike shop should be able to staighten them out with a special jig. Cost is around $20.

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  2. I'm not sure if you read my previous comment. Forks can be straightened safely, since their steel. You can get your rim straightened, and re-laced. That should put the bike in good working order. I found Schwalbe still produces the tires and tubes under the brand "Swallow". I was really fortunate, and found my latest NS22, barely used, in an airplane hanger. It had been hanging in the rafters, and was part of a garage sale. The airport was closing permanently, and aircraft owners were clearing out their junk.

    I've yet to find a more versatile, comfortable ride than the NS22.

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  3. Thanks, yes I did read your previous comment. I'm leaving Melbourne tomorrow, driving 2800km back to Tennant Creek. I will have a go at the fork repair myself, if it's no good I will get other forks somewhere. I'll try the 24" MTB wheels. My 550A tyres are Michelin and look relatively new.

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  4. It looks to me that your forks can be re-bent and can be as good as new. Hope you find a good mechanic.
    Funny you should mention the 24-inch MTB wheels. I carted one home the other day after coming across a derelict bike beside a bike path in my city. I wanted to compare the relative size. The 507, 24-inch wheels are just slightly larger than the 550A rims on the NS22. I'm guessing they'll fit under the fenders on my Peugeot. The original steel rims are a bit problematic. They're heavy, and they get knocked out of true after hitting even a small pothole.
    I'll check back, and good luck to you.

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