Columbus Forks?

[false_aesthetic]

Hey-o,

The next whip I wanna build is a race bike. Nothin' fancy, just something I can rail + wail.
The Columbus Futura SL or Minimal fit the bill but I dunno anyone who has had experience with them.
Have any of you used/tested them? Do ya'll have any insight?

Thanks!
-T-

[Amaro Bikes]

You can't go wrong with either Columbus or Dedacciai forks.

About your question, just keep in mind:
-Columbus Futura SL will give you bit more tire clearance than Minimal, specially with Campagnolo brakes, think about 26mm on Minimal and 29mm on Futura.
-Columbus Minimal is specifically designed to match aesthetically with the smaller diameter tubes on classic frames and external headset EC34 cups, while the Futura SL will look best with ZS44 headtubes, as the crown diameter is wider on Futura than Minimal.
-Both are pretty light and stiff enough for any use&abuse. I've had customers doing Paris Roubaix challenge on a minimal fork without issues, and Futura range is ready for real life use.

Apart from that, rest would be up to anyone's personal prefences on straight/curved blades, modern/classic, etc.

Cheers

[progetto]

A steel frame deserves a steel fork.

[false_aesthetic]

Thanks Aimar.

Do you have any photos of the build with the Minimal?

[false_aesthetic]

A steel frame deserves a steel fork.

I definitely disagree 100% about 50% of the time.

[Paul Jacobs]

Thanks Aimar.

Do you have any photos of the build with the Minimal?

I like the Columbus Minimal and I also like steel forks. Here are pictures of a white frame I built as my main road bike with a Minimal fork. When I made a better road bike I re-created it as a winter bike and built a steel fork for it with mudguards (fenders) and had it powder coated green.

[Amaro Bikes]

Thanks Aimar.

Do you have any photos of the build with the Minimal?

Sure, here are some with different tubing:
Minimal with 35mm DT, 37mm HT and EC34 headset



Minimal with38mm DT, 37mm HT and EC34 Headset


And as a reference respect the wider but non tapered 1 1/8" Columbus/Dedacciai forks (Actual Futura SL would be similar to Grammy slim but straight bladed, or Dedacciai F-14):
Columbus Grammy Slim with 38mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Columbus Tusk with 38mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Columbus Grammy slim with 44mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset.


Dedacciai F14 with 44mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Hope it helps

[devlin]

I love the Columbus range. I pretty much only offer those forks to my customers now. Though the last customer brought his own brand new Enve fork to me to use. Deda is great as well.

[Andrew Cooper]

Tom

If you want a second choice check out Dedacciai as well , small selection over at bikefabsupply.com . Will have more options in the months ahead just FYI

[false_aesthetic]

Andrew,

I seems like the Dedacciai forks are only offered in 44mm offset, is that correct?

[Andrew Cooper]

Tom

yes, most of the Road 9mm axle forks are 44mm. The two new road disc thru axle forks are 45mm , cross disc thru axle one at 45m and 50mm and gravel/dics is 50mm

[Rkanz]

Minimal 45 on 36 head tube. Really nice ride.

Russ KanzIMG_2477.jpg

[false_aesthetic]

Hey Aimar,

Looks like your inbox is full. Do you have a photo of a Futura in a 37mm HT by chance? I'm hoping to see how out of place it looks.

Thanks!

[Amaro Bikes]

Hey Aimar,

Looks like your inbox is full. Do you have a photo of a Futura in a 37mm HT by chance? I'm hoping to see how out of place it looks.

Thanks!

Hi Tom

Sorry I have none as it's not a combo I would normally use (small tubes with wide fork), but I have a pretty close one on this gravel Lisi which uses 37mm HT and 35mm DT with a similarly wide fork to Futura/Grammy/F-14/etc.


Just in case it helps here you have some personal opinions on 37mm HT and modern forks:
-The Futura SL crown is 46mm almost the same as the 45mm from Columbus Grammy Slim and Tusk or Dedacciai F-14 (although Grammy Slim not being "flat" crown makes it smoother transition) and quite wider than Minimal (35mm), so for your reference. If you don't like curved blades you could check the Dedacciai F-08, somehow in between the minimal and the F-14, having a wide crown but thinner blades.
-Whatever you choose out of Minimal, I would highly recommend the use of some wide cup styled headset, as ResetRacing or Hope, so to somehow balance the difference in diameters from HT to Fork blades. If possible reinforcement HT rings would also help to get the transition softened out
-Don't forget a 35mm DT is not that common on many 37mm HT frames, specially if oldtimers, so that would make a world of a difference on how the fork looks like on the balanced sight, it's not just about the HT, but the whole thing (specially DT)

In the end, it's as most of the rest of components, a bicycle works as a whole, not just a sum of individual parts, so the very same fork on the very same frame might be perfectly nice looking or not depending on some little details making the bonding possible (headset, rim diametr, tire size, geometry, etc)

Hope it helps

Cheers

[false_aesthetic]

Thanks Aimar.

This is super dooper helpful.

[Amaro Bikes]

Thanks Aimar.

This is super dooper helpful.

Hi Tom, happy to help.

I just saw you're from USA, so would not forget about the WoundUp option, specially if you have smaller diameter tubes (like 31,7mm downtube, for example), they come up a bit more expensive for EU with all import&shipping, but you being at their side it makes it worth checking, they're a really nice one as well.

And one more final suggestion if none of the above fill your soul, the Dario's specific Falz, made by Columbus, you can't get them on a shop, but might be available through Dario. That fork is not a Minimal nor a Futura, but something else.

Cheers

[pipas]

Sure, here are some with different tubing:
Minimal with 35mm DT, 37mm HT and EC34 headset


Minimal with38mm DT, 37mm HT and EC34 Headset


And as a reference respect the wider but non tapered 1 1/8" Columbus/Dedacciai forks (Actual Futura SL would be similar to Grammy slim but straight bladed, or Dedacciai F-14):
Columbus Grammy Slim with 38mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Columbus Tusk with 38mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Columbus Grammy slim with 44mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset.


Dedacciai F14 with 44mm DT, 46mm HT and ZS44 headset


Hope it helps

Hi Aimar,

First of all thanks for all the info and congrats on the great bike builds.
One question, which zs44 Headset do you use? Because the ZS 44 headsets I found are for 50mm OD headtubes. Isn't the difference to 46mm noticeable?

Cheers

[Gattonero]

...
And one more final suggestion if none of the above fill your soul, the Dario's specific Falz, made by Columbus, you can't get them on a shop, but might be available through Dario. That fork is not a Minimal nor a Futura, but something else.

Cheers

Dario's fork rides extremely well, it was made from the ground up to be a set of forks that you can truly ride at speed on descents, and carve the corners just as you want.
They're very good, and have their own personality in ride quality and looks.
FALZ AND D11 — DARIO PEGORETTI