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  • Exotic Carbon Forks. Anyone had one recently?
  • RDL-82
    Free Member

    Evening all.

    As title really. Just received some Exotic Carbon 29er forks and less than impressed if honest. Have had them before and were spot on so wondering tbh if I’m just being picky.

    I’ve emailed the company for clarification but curious to hear some other opinions.

    I’ll let the pictures do the talking, so hear goes…

    Apologies for the links, can’t do it properly on tablet 😳

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/e1ys1um/V101Vu This one the csu is huge. Doesn’t seem like a 1 1/8 size and more tapered. Just me?

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/e1ys1um/LR2X95 From above, with headset cup on for reference. Still huge.

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/e1ys1um/8BGg91 This one shows the race unable to pass the excess metal ridge all the way around. It’s a split hope and still can’t get over. It would definitely need tooling to be right. Am I expecting too much? Never had to touch a steerer beyond cutting.

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/e1ys1um/4HLY8T Again minus race.

    What do people think? And yes buy cheap etc but I’ve had them before and been fine. Apart from the poorly finished steerer (imo) the csu just seems too big.

    Cheers.

    rossburton
    Free Member

    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.

    Yak
    Full Member

    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.

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    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    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.

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    Yak
    Full Member

    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.

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    sirromj
    Full Member

    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.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

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

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    Yak
    Full Member

    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.

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    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.

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I have a set I may be selling

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    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

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Suspension forks have CSUs, it’s a crown.

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    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.

    Andy-R
    Full Member

    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.

    Ben_H
    Full Member

    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.

    Lionheart
    Free Member

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

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

    iain1775
    Free Member

    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

    kaiser
    Free Member

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

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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!

    RDL-82
    Free Member

    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.

Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)

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