# Bent forks



## bikiba (Dec 31, 2014)

Maybe it is because I typically look at rollfasts, but was there an issue with rollfast fork strength? Everyone I look at seems to have a bent fork.


http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=171619228580&alt=web 

I have a red later model which also has a bent fork...

Any other brands that tend to bend at the fork area??


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## GTs58 (Dec 31, 2014)

I think it's a pretty common thing on all bikes, including Schwinns. It all depends on what the rider hit and how fast he was going, along with how much he weighs.   My buddy was sitting on my bars and I didn't see the Red 1965 Impala SS parked on the side of the street. That car did some damage to my bike and my buddy did a face plant on the trunk lid.


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## SirMike1983 (Jan 18, 2015)

Conventional forks are designed to withstand force from underneath. It takes substantial force to bend a fork from underneath (popping a wheelie and smashing back down is an efficient way to do it). 

Forks are not designed to withstand force from straight ahead. The classic bend is at the fork crown/steerer tube junction from a blow to the front of the wheel. Hitting a wall/tree/very high curb will do this. You can do this in the course of riding quite easily if you hit an obstruction high enough to the front of the wheel.

Forks can also bend from hitting a pot hole or other obstruction at an angle, bending dropouts, bending one blade more than the other, twisting the fork, etc. These are somewhat common as well. 

I've come across only one or two forks on vintage bikes that were dead-on. Everything else has needed some tweak or another.


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