What makes the perfect gravel fork?! Well, that’s a hard question to answer, and one which will no doubt open up a lot of debate. However it’s one that we’ve thought a lot about when designing our new Carbon Gravel Fork and Steel Gravel Fork. Our starting point was making sure they’re suitable to the sort of riding they’ll be used for – mixed terrain from smooth tarmac to some pretty rough gravel trails and just as comfortable on a multi day bikepacking trip as they are on a fast after work spin.
For us our gravel bikes are the most versatile we own – we commute on them, bikepack on them and push them to their limits out in the woods. Therefore these forks need to be as versatile, if not more so, than the bikes they’re to be used on.
With this is mind we’ve designed both to work with either 700c or 650b wheelsets and with sufficient clearance for large tyres (see individual product pages for max tyre clearances) – our steel gravel fork can fit a massive 650b x 2.4″ tyre! Both forks also have a focus on utility or “adventure” with fender mounts and triple cage mounts for those wanting to fit extra water bottles or anything cages.
Most importantly there’s the question of material – we’ve created both a steel and carbon gravel fork and deciding which is best for you is really a matter of taste. Carbon fibre is known for being very stiff and lightweight, put this on your gravel bike and you get a very fast and responsive ride. The stiff front end is great on the climbs and tired legs will be thankful for the weight saved when you’ve been out on the bike all day.
The steel gravel fork is for those with less focus on weight and more on comfort and utility. The forgiving nature of steel provides fantastic damping and is therefore noticeably more comfortable over rough terrain – note we’ve also designed the steel fork to have a 1 1/8″ steerer as a tapered steel fork would be overkill on a gravel bike! Steel is a famously robust material, the steel gravel fork therefore allows you to confidently carry much heavier loads up front. So those wanting to pack their bikes up with lots of kit for bigger adventures should strongly consider the steel fork option.
Here are some shots we took recently of a heavily loaded Mehteh running our steel gravel forks, 650b wheels and 47c WTB Venture tyres:
Both these forks were designed to fit our gravel frame the Mehteh, making this product even more versatile than it already was. However, they can be purchased as upgrades for a wide range of other gravel bikes – drop us an email if you have any questions about compatibility. The steel fork also fits our Kepler frameset for those wanting to make it a bit more adventure focused. Both forks are now available to buy ONLINE HERE…