[Closed] How are Shand Stoater forks so damn light?

i noted they were nice and light and asked shand if they were interested in making me a custom short pair for my TD-1 as i much prefer the ride of well designed butted steel forks. they just have a twang about them that carbon cannot replicate - IME.

never heard back 🙁

may try again in the off season , i know they have been busy owt,

I asked if they would sell me some Stoater forks -- no luck, they said they were struggling to put together enough for the bikes they had on order

Back in the early 90s triple butted Project 2s were quoted as 795g, as far as I recall.

Some slight differences between the forks:

- P2s then were for threaded headsets, meaning (a) the steerer was shorter but also (b) it would need a little more wall thickness because of the threads.

- P2s were the same length (400mm) but would take big 26" tyres, so the crown was wider, meaning a little more weight there.

- P2s were for rim brakes, and a disc brake fork would need a little more wall thickness in the legs. (I believe when Kona first made a disc P2 they based it on the single-butted version, not the triple.)

Either way they're roughly comparable, give or take a bit, and I never saw a broken set of P2s. To my mind "a smidge under 800g" has always seemed about as light as steel forks come without being compromised somehow. But yes, IME even with road forks most are around 900g-1kg unless you spend a small fortune, with longer/beefier ones going up to 1.2kg or even a little more.

i currently run triple butted 440mm p2s with non threaded headset which do indeed weigh sub 800g on my scales

not to be confused with the cheaper p2s that were plaingauge - had hell finding these butted ones - you can only tell by the ping test or the weight.

im trying to find a replacement set - with a slightly longer steerer to accomodate the longer riding im now doing with the bike.

my p2s are the best riding forks ive ever had , my carbon ones are all too stiff latterally(hylix) and in somecases track terribly (pace rc31) and salsa cromoto are too heavy and stiff and the identity XC fork is 1100 grams and stiff.

I blame CEN - hence why im looking for custom fork makers to make me a new set. anyone else other than kinetics and shand as both appear too busy.

They are very skinny! Only 40g heavier than Kinesis Maxlights - https://www.upgradebikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Forks/Kinesis/Maxlight   , full carbon mtb forks.

they are also very long , very tapered and  every carbon fork of that <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">shape ive ridden has been stiff. </span>

I blame CEN

Nah, blame disk brakes.

My old Ritchey Logic forks are super light… but f you were to weld a disk brake mount to them, they'd twist like crazy when you pulled a handful… I suspect. Steel forks went heavy when they first went disk brake… and, if anything, are lighter these days, post CEN, then they used to be.

if they were interested in making me a custom short pair for my TD-1

A rigid mtb "probably" needs stronger forks than the Stoater.

ah yes but kona managed to make a triple butted p2 with disk that doesnt twist like crazy rides well and has taken a beaten over the last 10 or more years.

much less twisty than my rc31s - while being more compliant.

I bent my (non disc) triple butted P2s in a race, without crashing. Not a fan. The disc version quickly went chunkier for a reason other than cost, or CEN, IMHO.

my mate did the same to a kona kula delux frame. it just snapped riding over tree roots on its first race.

shit happens.

i reckon if ive survived 10 years to date with a similar set up ill be grand for a while yet - ive even done local enduro mates races on it without hitch or being last.

ive probably also got one of the few sets of 2008 sids still in use that are not twisted to buggery.

Project 2 forks - the triple butted variety have always been ace.  I have a pair here owned from new and had zero issues. 23 years old...

Relatively compliant and plenty stuff enough for accurate cornering.  Lovely things.

We fill the blades with a squirt of awesome. Which everyone knows is lighter than air.

We fill the blades with a squirt of awesome. Which everyone knows is lighter than air.

I seem to remember back in the 2000's professionals on the road would ride ridiculously light titanium frames filled with an expanding foam to make them stiff.

I guess that couldn't be done with steel as you couldn't guarantee it to be free of voids that would fill with water and rust.

Are you sure you don't want to sell trail_rat and I some forks mr/mrs shand?

Especially now you have them with a thru-axle

I've got (a little) patience if you're busy 🙂

Are the Shand forks CEN tested? Might make the difference.

(b) it would need a little more wall thickness because of the threads.

No, same ID, OD and hence wall thickness.

Fair enough, I'm sure most steel steerers are plain 1,6mm but I'm guessing in theory you could use a buttes tube with a slightly thinner wall for threadless. Not that I've tried it or FEA'd it of course 🙂 And perhaps stiffness is the limiting requirement anyway.

"I’m guessing in theory you could use a butted tube with a slightly thinner wall for threadless."

That's actually one of the ways we get the weight of our forks down. The downside is that a lot (most) star-fangled nuts don't fit well.

Would love some lightweight 29er forks please. Surly Krampus forks are on my shortlist at the moment.

You'll be disappointed if you buy krampus forks expecting lightweight .

I have a pair on my cargo bike.

Reckon they weigh more than my totems.

Yes, have an old pair of P2s kicking about, pre-disc unfortunately, that when I replaced with Pace RC31s, thought - they're no that much lighter - if at all..

Still love the walls of the Ritchey Logic steerer… cunning.

Still love the walls of the Ritchey Logic steerer… cunning.

It's weird how these things go around in circles.

Ritchey made them thicker front/back.

Trek now make them thicker side to side to absorb more vibrations.