Has anybody tried the Lauf fork?

[DrShifty]

There are only a couple of mentions of the Lauf fork on the forum, and they are just in passing in threads on other topics.

I'm half thinking of trying one on my Giant Toughroad to give my wrists a bit of a rest on long dirt road rides. It's an expensive option and I was wondering how many people here have ridden with a Lauf fork, or perhaps fitted one to their own bike.

[baabaa]

Iohan Gueorguiev is giving one a pretty good flogging touring around South America, check out his pages here
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqiYX6 ... qhH_kvHeOw
and a short cut early in the vid to see his bike and fork setup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp7OjrlC6aM

[DrShifty]

Thanks for the link, that must be a tough trip.

Funnily enough, among the gear he doesn't like is the Shimano disc brakes I have on the Toughroad.

[Calvin27]

I've tried a lauf equipped fork for a brief ride.

Feels good. Front end is much lighter than an equivalent telescopic fork. Works best with gravel grind applications in mind imo.

The come in a range of guises and I think the one I rode was 60mm which was probably on the longer side for a gravel grinder (it was a monstercross though).

I will make a point though to check rider weight as these are quite low. I think it's around 110kg which can easily be exceeded but a bigger rider with some gear (i.e. if you are bike camping/packing).

But yes you are right, it is an expensive way to fix a problem and you might want to try play with tyres first.

[Comedian]

I have one on a fatbike. I've been pleasantly surprised with it.

I was worried that it would feel as the bike was bobbing in an undampened way.. but that doesn't happen. It feels to me more like a rigid fork.. but the big hits just have the worst taken off them. For example, ride off a gutter and you think "uh oh this is going to hurt" but the fork takes the hit.

I'm a timid mountain biker (TBH), but I think it's perfect for what I intend to do with it. I think if you were using your bike for mountain biking all the time I'd probably rather a proper suspension fork. Lauf advise this too.

[DrShifty]

I had a reply from Lauf: the fork does not fit my gravel bike. The steerer bearings/tube will not fit and it would also raise the front too much and interfere with the bike's geometry.

I had a full sus mtb but after a pedal strike tipped me off and resulted in a badly broken shoulder, I've now got a steel plate and screws holding me together. The surgeon says that if I have a similar accident and the metalwork bends it becomes a very difficult task to repair me again. So I sold the Trek Remedy 8 and only ride quieter gravel roads on the Toughroad.

Trouble is, my wrists take a bit of a beating on a full day. Plan B is to chase up one of the steerer suspension setups.

[caneye]

have you considered the Redshift suspension stem?

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/08/redshif ... em-review/

[cyclotaur]

I chatted to a guy on Kew Boulie (Melbourne) a month or so ago who was riding with one. Swore by it for rougher gravel/trails etc. had about 40c tyres on board, was a Lynksey I think.

[Comedian]

I chatted to a guy on Kew Boulie (Melbourne) a month or so ago who was riding with one. Swore by it for rougher gravel/trails etc. had about 40c tyres on board, was a Lynksey I think.

I think the big gotcha would be if you're going to fit one you'd need to make sure the geometry of the bike was intended for having a suspension fork.

If you just fitted one to a normal bike you'd raise the front end by the amount of the suspension (roughly). It's probably ok but not ideal.

[Calvin27]

I think the big gotcha would be if you're going to fit one you'd need to make sure the geometry of the bike was intended for having a suspension fork.

I would have thought the 30mm versions would be configured to only change the a2c a little bit. a 30mm chnge in a2c mightsound liek a lot, but consider 10mm sag and it's within the ballpark for not changing the geometry too much.

[CKinnard]

There are only a couple of mentions of the Lauf fork on the forum, and they are just in passing in threads on other topics.

I'm half thinking of trying one on my Giant Toughroad to give my wrists a bit of a rest on long dirt road rides. It's an expensive option and I was wondering how many people here have ridden with a Lauf fork, or perhaps fitted one to their own bike.

I understand Toughroad comes with 40mm tires (and can take up 45mm, and 50mm with a 650 wheel)..

I presume you've messed with lower front wheel PSI off road.

I've done a few thousand km's mixed endurance rides outside Brisbane....on 38 and 42mm tires.
45psi on the gravel is kosher (I weigh 80kg), but it's too mushy on tarmac.

If you are going to do a lot of k's, I'd suggest you get a lighter bike.
The toughroad is 10kg.
Many of the newer compact frame endurance carbon bikes with disc brakes can take 35-40mm now.

Comfort on the gravel has a lot to do with combined rider and bike weight.
And 2kg less weight in the bike makes a lot of diff.

[baabaa]

Trouble is, my wrists take a bit of a beating on a full day. Plan B is to chase up one of the steerer suspension setups.

I note the “s” in wrists but if it is the same side of the meccano set in the shoulder, maybe this may help. A bit pricey for both sides but...
https://www.bikemag.com/gear/apparel/pa ... ist-brace/

also think around a Fox low suspension fork?
https://www.cxmagazine.com/firs-ride-re ... k-float-32

AND then have a look at this, I have had a wrist issue this year and it was hard going and very sore, the quack thought the x-ray indicated rheumatoid arthritis so I have also been very careful to avoid any heavy offs. I am happy riding not so wide rubber, 35mm is ideal for me but really try and keep to less than 45mm as I just don't find much difference and really cant enjoy dragging wide tryes on tar, so started to look around on bike comfort and found this.
....Tom Ritchey Q&A With fahrstil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-gGIqf ... e=youtu.be
The point being, the way Tom sees it without the BS marketing of the modern bike world, is the frame is the key to a good ride and a steel frame and steel fork is in his observation as a frame builder, still the way to go. I know it is long vid but Tom has more or less a complete biking background is really free and able to talk around this sort of stuff without caring what other think.

Oh, and it didn’t really help my wrist issues as I have not only a steel framed ritchey breakaway bike, but for some reason it also has a steel fork which ritchey don’t seem to sell as a item, and yes it does ride just like he said it should. Some companies make nice steel forks but you need to look at getting the right rake and A - C mm as what is on your bike now so that any change in geo makes it worse on the wrist(s).

[DrShifty]

It's been a while since I got on here and there's a few posts to reply to.

Caneye: thanks for the link to the RedShift suspension stem. I'm chasing that up, which means I'm waiting for the price to make sense by the time I land one in Oz.

Commedian and Calvin 22: I'd have thought adding 30mm to the front would not be excessive, but the Toughroad is a 29er and those wheels need the wide/taller 60mm fork.

CKinnard: I run the pressure down to about 40 psi in the dirt but am mindful of pinch flats if I go too low. Selling the Toughroad in favour of a lighter bike with the thought of the Lauf fork on top is an expensive option that I'm not ready to jump into real soon. I don't do a lot of dirt miles, but am on the road bike with a group of friends twice a week so the road bike gets the time. I could look at a suspension bike but I really like the fit and feel of the Toughroad.

Baabaa: The wrist trouble is just from the pounding over rough surfaces and gets both wrists, it's not worrying the shoulder injury site. Thanks for those links. The Fox fork is worth a look, but it was the unconventional Lauf design that first got my attention.

[baabaa]

It's been a while since I got on here and there's a few posts to reply to.

The Fox fork is worth a look, but it was the unconventional Lauf design that first got my attention.

Oh, if it is unconventional you want then....
https://trustperformance.com/collection ... ts/message
Shame about the price, but could be something in this in the future as it changes the way of thinking of what a front fork should be doing. Saw someone test these forks out by riding directly at a curb and gutter with no hands ..... they didn't get tossed off...