Seeing as how aero is the new carbon when it comes to the world of road bikes lately, it should come as no surprise that there is a lot of aero talk surrounding the front of a bike and how the front brake affects the wind. There are a few brakes that have tried to address the issue of making a front mounted brake more aerodynamic, though it seems the most slippery TT bikes are equipped with built in stoppers mounted directly in the fork and frame. Most of the aforementioned frames are integrated frame sets, meaning those looking for aftermarket forks with integrated brakes had extremely limited options (the THM Scapula F Aero fork is one of the only forks that we’re aware of).
However, roadies looking for a faster front end can rejoice as 4ZA is now offering their Fast fork aftermarket. The 4ZA Fast fork is the same fork that comes stock on Ridley’s new aero road bike, the Noah FB. Because it is the same fork, that means that it is limited to only 1 1/2 to 1 1/8 tapered steerer tubes. No straight 1 1/8th available. Due to the brakes being into the rear of the fork itself combined with the slotted fork legs, Ridley claims the Fast fork brings bicycle aerodynamics to a new level.
Get the specs after the break.
As mentioned, the 4Za Fast fork is only compatible with tapered head tubes with a 1 1/2 lower bearing and is only offered in a 44mm rake. It will ship with a 300mm steerer tube, and Ridley states that the minimum required head tube length is 70mm. Weight of the entire package is reportedly 505g which includes the brakes, micro adjuster & spring, and brake pads for aluminum rims. The Fast fork will be available in the three colors shown: Fast black, black, and white. No word yet on price.
