SYNCROS FL 29er Carbon rigid fork – Updated Ride Impressions: by “c_g”
After having served its time on board the On-One Carbon Race 29″er bike, which I had given you my experiences on here, it is about time to report on how the SYNCROS FL29″er rode on board the other test platform – the steel framed OS Bikes Blackbuck II.
Unless you still have all the facts on this fork ready – here is the link to the (technical) intro on the SYNCROS FL Carbon 29″er fork.
GEOMETRY and HANDLING: Before the SYNCROS, I had been riding the NINER Carbon fork on the Blackbuck and the combination was universally pleasing throughout (see impressions here).
With the longer axle to crown measurement of the SYNCROS which slackened the head angle by about 0.5° and the shorter offset of 38mm (versus NINER´s 45mm) the Blackbuck was turning into a tamer steed overall. Being built around a 51 mm offset rigid fork the it was immediately noticeable how the handling got more easy going. Initially after putting the SYNCROS fork on the Blackbuck II I found myself getting a bit lazy in technical terrain through all the stability and confidence the configuration inspired. On the uphills I could feel how the front grew more stable (good, because I would focus on pedaling exclusively) but the slightly higher front made me suffer just a bit more on steep climbs (not so good, because I like to have a low front when running single speed-mode).
After some time of keeping everything like I had throughout the test (for comparison´s sake), I swapped to a shorter and more aggressively angled stem (70mm instead of the 90mm before and -17° instead of -6°) …. and suddenly the bike was all I ever wanted. It was quick to steer, yet stable when weighed (be it on downhills or pushing up climbs).
What can I say – I loved this set up BIG time.
[Note: I always find it challenging to meet the handling demands of a single speed bike (primarily of concern when hammering out of the saddle) with the equally important general riding and handling characteristics when standing or seated.]
To sum up my experiences on handling of the SYNCROS FL on the Blackbuck, I admit that despite me knowing how adaptable the Blackbuck is, I had been curious as to how well I would like it with the SYNCROS FL 29″er fork. After all the SYNCROS fork is pretty different to what Mark Slate had in mind when designing the Blackbuck (435 to 470 forks, all with 51 mm offset). But like so often, I was in for a surprise on how much I ended up liking the SYNCROS FL fork fork on this bike (given the slightly modified handling through swapping the stem).
In the terms of COMPLIANCE, I had come off the most forgiving rigid combination I had ever ridden – the Blackbuck paired with the NINER Carbon fork. So for those of you, who have followed my testing it comes as no surprise that the SYNCROS FL (being middle grounds between the stiff-as-ca-be DT-SWISS XRR and the NINER fork) had me hold on to the bars just a bit more tightly in the rough. Interestingly I found that while feeling more direct, in terms of long distance fatigue and safely attainable speeds on rough grounds the SYNCROS was almost rivaling the NINER fork on the Blackbuck – didn’t think it would after my ride impressions on the Carbon 29″er.
Somehow the frames decent amount of give and the SYNCROS´ damping characteristics teamed up perfectly well into a great ride. Strange to see how once again the frame makes such a huge difference when judging a rigid fork´s ride.
BRAKING: The SYNCRPOS FL is the only rigid fork on test that has no rider weight limit and no limit in maximum rotor size (all others are limited to 185 mm). I like that freedom of choice.
Like before there had been absolutely no issues with braking on the SYNCROS Carbon fork.
No trouble with the vertical dropouts either (I still prefer forward angled ones, though), braking induced deflection or vibrations and absolutely no squealing under any riding conditions.
AESTHETICALLY - You may remember me commenting how (positively) surprised I was on the fork´s looks on the On-One Carbon frame but was wondering on its look on the thinner tubed Blackbuck?
Well, I stand to my comment that the huge diameter crown base (bigger even than the outside diameter of my headset on the Blackbuck) looks a bit off but somehow this didn’t stop me from starting to like the SYNCROS fork´s look on the Blackbuck. On the whole (ignoring the little small quirk) I find the combination quite pleasing to look at – not perfect but I like it.
So my aesthetic opinion has swayed from “perfect match for those old school steel and Ti frames” (intro post) over to “better for more massive looking frames” (first impressions) to “pretty universal after all” with this one.
Verdict: The SYNCROS fork to me is one more example of how a product receives criticism and polarizes when introduced, primarily for the numbers. And yes, numbers don’t lie: The SYNCROS fork is more stable handling than the others … but then the piece turns out to become a favorite in a specific configuration. While I found the fork to create a more touring/endurance riding oriented character on the On-One Carbon Race 29er platform (not bad but noticeable) – I found it to be a superbly handling fork on the OS Bikes Blackbuck and chances are good it will be ridden there even after the test period is over.
Stay tuned for me rounding up my “test on the latest generation rigid forks” with a conclusive shootout article.
RIDE ON,
c_g
Editorial Note: If not for all these aspects stated above, I credit the SYNCROS FL simply because it is a bit anachronistic in times of ever larger offsets and shorter forks. It is emphasizing stable steering and secure, confidence inspiring handling in a very modern package. I know it will find critics but also it´s following out there among 29″er riders.
If it is about choice – then the SYNCROS FL extends the range of options into a direction rigid forks are not found yet, while not taking this to extremes.
Fork only available with 1 1/8? Or also with a tapered steerer tube? (1 1/8 -> 1 1/2)
Greetz
Am I late to the party on this one or something?
Good report on the fork; it sounds like a great combo for this frame.
But – what about the belt drive you are running to an internally geared hub along with a mount for a kiddie trailer?
It appears you have much more to tell about your times on the Blackbuck II!
Can’t wait.
Rider: 1 1/8″ only tothis point
kurti_sc: Do I …. hmmmm
Until it was robbed I was the proud owner of an on -one scandal with on-one carbon forks, but found the forks a bit to stiff and prone to flutter under heavy braking. I am probably replacing with a salsa mamasita and want to run it rigid. [Geometry optimised for a 80mm reba (I guess 475 mm with 20% sag)]. I want a pair of forks that will ride aggressively and offer more compliance over the rough ground. I have been looking at various rigid options and like the look of the niners or the syncros, and I am probably tending towards the syncros ones as they’re a bit longer (slacker head angle, albeit with less offset) but possibly a bit less compliant. (although not sure if they’re available in the UK yet). Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Are there any other forks that I should consider?
@SWEB: The Syncros fork would raise your front end up, slacken the seat angle and head tube angle, and slightly raise the bottom bracket. This may not be an ideal fork for you, but it might. We can not recommend for or against such a thing, since as “c_g” and I have discovered, 29″ers seem more tolerant of fork geometry changes and humans have a great capacity for adaptation.
To stay in the dimensions you have specified has suddenly become out of vogue for carbon fiber fork makers. They seem to be gravitating towards the extremes of 100mm corrected lengths or really short, non-suspension lengths. I do believe “c_g” has mentioned that On One is bringing out more forks, but I do not know that a longer offset 465-470mm axle to crown version is one of those.