[Closed] Exotic Carbon Forks. Anyone had one recently?

I just bought a 24" fork and the LBS admitted that it needed "more than a good tap" to get my crown race on, although it did go on when they got the proper hammer out.

It does look better than yours though, despite being larger than expected. Yours doesn't look finished.

I have had 2 pairs before and have had none of those problems. Both straight steerer and both with much smaller crowns. Yours looks like a tapered one with a straight steerer somehow made to fit.

This will need more than a good tap to go on. It's a definite ridge line all the way around and extends higher than the race so would be an issue with the bearing as well.

And indeed Yak. I'm leaning towards it being a tapered bodged at the factory. The actual csu is overly large imo.

Bodged? Really? Like someone made it fit on a Friday afternoon ?with a hammer cos they'd run out of the right ones?

They clearly make the crown for tapered forks now and make the 1 1/8 use the same crown.

Looks crap but not a bodge.

Yeah a bodge, I'm happy with that terminology! Maybe not the right phrasing but I'll go with it.

But yeah you are most probably right. One csu suits all and it looks crap. I asked in case I'd got unlucky and ended up with some weird mash up. When CC get back to me I'll know hopefully. Regardless I will be returning them as they'll only get on my nerves like that.

I'd send it back if I were you. It's going to look awful on a skinny steel frame. There must be some good old ones in the classifieds, or maybe a swift fork?

Edit ^ you already are returning it.

Yeah, it'll be going back. It just looks wrong against the frame.

Haven't really fully considered other options although I had similar recommendations when asking a different question.
I'll look into it, just like the look of the carbon and wasn't expecting a issue from past experience.

I got some at the start of the year for my 26" hardtail I use for commutes. Very happy with them.

The bottom of the head tube (1 1/8" semi-integrated I think) has oversized bearings so no issue with crown size.

Yes the crown race was a &^$* to fit. The ridge doesn't seem gradual enough and the crown-race never wanted to go on straight. I didn't have correct tools and ended up nipping out to the shops and buying some plastic pipe just the right size to go over the steerer. The tube then got stuck tight and couldn't be removed. After leaving it for an hour or so I gave it one more good whack and it seated straight away. Used a hot knife to remove the plastic tube.

OP thanks for saving me £150, I [i]was[/i] toying with putting some Exxotics on my fat bike.

Erm, glad to be of assistance crashtestmonkey!

See what they come back with. I've used them previously on my old 26" SS and they were spot on so I maybe just got unlucky this time. Regardless these are going back. If they offer an alternative I'll be asking for pictures of the csu/steerer first.
Failing that I'll be looking at alternatives. Shame OnOne are out of stock, I could drive there and look first.
All I'm certain on right now is I don't want a suspension fork on this build. Have looked at the Singular forks but can't live with the colour, petty as that is. Will check out the Surly one. Wanted carbon tbh though just from previous use.

Put a wanted ad up. I'm sure someone has one sat in their shed somewhere. Either that or the similar on-one, nukeproof, pace etc.

I probably will do. Still waiting some other parts so not a major rush.

Quite like the OnOne Monocoque ones tbh (out of stock though) it's just the carbon steerer part. Just makes me nervous! Irrationally I know, just not something I've had experience of. With any luck I'll hear back soon, even if they only confirm their returns procedure.

Be interested to know if they all have this massive face at the bottom of the steerer. I have been debating replacing the Reba forks on my Inbred with a pair of Exotic carbon.

I'm not massively fussed about bike aesthetics, but that does look a little ridiculous.

I'll update the thread when I get a response as I've asked if they all are like that now. I'm still waiting a response however.

I have a set I may be selling

I received some the other day, def very tight on the crown race, but fitting to a cannondale headshox frame (with adaptors) so CSU size is fine by me

Suspension forks have CSUs, it's a crown.

I may be interested in those cynic-al. I'll see what I get back for them first.

And go on explain please, what's the difference then? I assumed it was a csu regardless of bounce. Genuine curiosity as I see no difference if I'm honest, certainly not on these forks, maybe on the monocoque type being one piece.

The crown is the part that connects the steerer to the fork legs.

A CSU, Crown Steerer Unit, is the part of a suspension fork that isn't the lowers. It's not a fork.

What's being discussed here is a FORK (or pair of forks), part of which is a crown.

But they're not unicrown forks, so they do have a crown, I suppose, except the fork legs are fitted where the stanchions would be.

I've had a handful of forks from CarbonCycles and never had trouble fitting a crown race; the Hope ones are especially easy to fit IME. That looks like a 1.5 crown, bonded to a straight 1.1/8 steerer.

I currently have their UD monocoque QR15 fork with tapered steerer, which is really pretty good. (The UD fork looks identical to the Kinesis IX that was available at the time at double the cost). Unfortunately, I see it's gone up from the c.£110 I paid 15 months ago to £180 now.

Have two sets here, both pretty good, reckon they would struggle with rider over 80kg but fine under that.

That's my thinking Andy R. Essentially 3 parts, steerer, crown and legs which would be the stanchions on a sus fork. Either way we all understood!

Yep that's looking like the case Ben H. Also surprised I couldn't get the hope over.

Still waiting a response. Seems they are not as quick to respond to issues as they are sales enquiries.

Quite like the OnOne Monocoque ones tbh (out of stock though)

The on one ones are the same, oversized crown/CSU I returned some before Xmas for the same reason you are returning the CC ones

CSU ...U stands for UPPER legs so sus fork only as rigids don't have upper and lower!

Cheers for the info iain1775. That rules those out then. Wonder if OO's non mono ones are the same.

Kaiser. Always thought it was 'unit' everydays a school day!

Ok just a little update.

Fork went back and CC/eXotic agreed not 'upto their usual high standard'. Full refund although they haven't refunded my postage yet so need to chase that.

Was offered and was prepared to take a replacement if they could send photos of the steerer and also asked if the normal non 15mm axle versions had the same oversized/1.5" steerer/crown seat. They wouldn't/couldn't say so passed that up.

Haven't sorted anything yet as a replacement as been distracted. Looking like steel is the way forward now or suspension but don't want that.

Anyway hopefully this might save someone else the hassle or disappointment of the oversized crown or whatever.