Just noticed these scratches on my front fork. Does this mean my tire doesn't have enough clearance? And are these anything to worry about or surface scratches?
by HaveBikeWillRide
Just noticed these scratches on my front fork. Does this mean my tire doesn't have enough clearance? And are these anything to worry about or surface scratches?
by HaveBikeWillRide
10 Comments
Could mean anything; rubber doesnt scratch
Could be a clearance issue, or simply just rocks and other stuff being thrown up and scratching the bottom of the fork
Do you hear rubbing when you ride? Have you checked for clearance with the wheel on? However, it mostly looks like paint scratches, which aren’t a big deal. But if your tires are rubbing, you should get smaller tires.
This is a good example of a tire “fitting” vs clearance. Just because a tire fits doesn’t mean there is clearance.
Yes. This is most likely from small rocks sticking to your tire and getting pulled/dragged through the fork and scratching in the process.
The amount of scratches makes me think is something recurrent, which could in fact mean there’s not enough clearance.
Go for a ride with that in mind and if you notice pebbles (is that the right word, I’m not sure) stuck on your tire check if they’re scratching the fork.
Tree branches. Rocks. Leaves. Anything scratches that side. Most forks look like that after a decent amount of time.
Yes
I have these on some forks with plenty of clearance (23mm) on a Ridley Damocles. Tiny bit’s of road grit, riding in crappy weather and general debris on the road will scratch the laminate like sand paper. I don’t worry about it.
Not necessarily? Can’t really tell without the tire mounted. The front tire will pick up sand and rocks and send them through the front fork or mudguard.
If you can’t stick in a 5mm allen wrench between the tire and fork, it is too close.
i add a piece of electrical tape to my bikes on the front fork for this reason. i check it every so often. if theres scratches i size down. id rather lose 2c of tape than a fork.