Roady help – carbon fork crack (spesh allez)

Help please!

I’ve just knowingly bought a specialized allez sport which has a slight hairline crack on one of the forks (carbon).

Firstly, how wary should I be?

Secondly, is there any chance of a warranty replacement (its a 2010 bit I heard there was a recall or something?)

Thirdly how specific to the bike are road forks? If I find another pair of forks with a similar offset then will they be fine?

Many thanks

Newbie Roadie

Wouldn’t it have been worth asking the questions before you bought the bike?

1) Very, I’d not knowingly ride a cracked fork

2) Technically none, no warranty on a second hand bike, however Spesh are superb on warranty stuff, so you may get lucky

3) Not at all.

1) Very, I’d not knowingly ride a cracked fork

2) Technically none, no warranty on a second hand bike, however Spesh are superb on warranty stuff, so you may get lucky

3) Not at all. different sizes of lower races, 1.5, 1.25, 1.125, planet-x are usually knocking out something cheep in an odd colour.

TINAS is of course right on steerer size, was taking that as a given!

As an aside, why did you knowingly buying a bike with a knackered fork?

Thanks for the replies…..

I did know about the problem before buying and it was all priced in.

Now I’ve seen it closer it doesn’t look bad and I wondered if this was common with carbon forks? I guess it’s where the crown meets the carbon leg?

I’ve got a pic here to clearly illustrate what I’m talking about.

The fork is one bit I wouldn’t be messing about with if broken…that and the bars/stem…

Luckily for you I’ve got a almost new set of planet x carbon forks in red going cheap that would be perfect for you 🙂

😯

Thank god that patch has protected the headtube….

I think that one’s definately a sticker!

Now I’ve seen it closer it doesn’t look bad and I wondered if this was common with carbon forks? I guess it’s where the crown meets the carbon leg?

not too bad, it’ll put more than a hairline fracture in your face when it goes (soon)

common, not statisticaly out of all the carbon/alloy forks on the market not many will have failed, but of those that do that’s not an uncommon of place for them to go where the two parts are bonded together.

Ok thanks guys, looks like a I need some forks!

Last question…. Do road forks have an headset crown race on the fork steerer that is impossible to remove without damaging like MTB’s or is it more straight forward?

The bike has a nice cane creek headset so i’d like to keep that following the fork swap?!?

Do road forks have an headset crown race on the fork steerer that is impossible to remove without damaging like MTB’s or is it more straight forward?

They have a removable and reusable crown race just like MTBs. Get a mechanic to help 🙂

There is a good chance that bike uses specialized mindset headset which is unique and and come in two versions crappy cage bearing and sealed bearing.
You will need to reuse the crown race , as with all forks it will come off given the right force / tool

Matching forks may be available from a Spesh dealer