Riding on the success of their Sparta carbon fork, Fyxation has just announced two new models that give more riders the option to upgrade their all-road/adventure bikes. The Sparta FCR is a lightweight, full carbon version of the original that uses a 12mm thru-axle for modern bikes. But if you’re looking for new ways to use that old ride, the Sparta QR is a straight-steerer model with quick-release dropouts.
The folks at Fyxation were happy to find that many riders bridging different disciplines were keen to upgrade to their Sparta carbon fork, which offers fender and cargo mounts, flat disc mounts and thru-axle compatibility at a low weight.
“We realized early on that the versatility of the Sparta would fill the needs of many riders, but the adoption across so many models has been exciting to see,” said Nick Ginster, co-founder of Fyxation Bicycle Company. “We continue to expand our list for the number of frames that are compatible with our Sparta fork and we’re finding new ones every day.”
Adding two new forks to the Sparta line ensures even more riders can find a compatible model for their bike. Here’s the lowdown on the new Sparta QR and FCR carbon forks…
Sparta QR All Road Carbon Fork:
The new Sparta QR All Road Carbon Fork features the same carbon legs and straight aluminum 1-1/8th steer tube as the original Sparta, but comes with 9x100mm QR dropouts. This makes it compatible with a range of road, gravel and CX frames that run quick-release wheelsets, and provides an upgrade option for those who don’t want to swap their front wheel to a thru-axle.
In fact, with such upgrades in mind Fyxation designed the Sparta QR to be backwards compatible with common touring frame geometries (see their website for a list of compatible frames, or email Fyxation to find out if yours will work).
The Sparta QR measures 400mm axle to crown, has a 45mm rake, and the uncut steerer tube is 300mm long. The fork will fit up to 700x42c (40c with fenders), or 650x50c tires. If your bike does have a tapered head tube, a steerer tube adapter is available for the Sparta QR.
The QR model includes internal brake cable routing, fender mounts and flat disc mounts. Each leg also offers three mounting eyelets for bottles or cargo bags, but since these mounts are designed for lighter loads, lowrider style racks are not compatible with the Sparta QR. The Sparta QR All Road Carbon fork weighs 747g and retails for $299 USD.
Sparta FCR All Road Full Carbon Fork:
Hitting the scale at 500g, the Sparta FCR is a lightweight version of the Sparta which uses a tapered carbon steerer tube. The FCR includes triple gear cage mounts on its legs, giving riders more options for bottle placement and making the fork compatible with Salsa’s Anything Cage or Blackburn’s Outpost Cargo Cage. Despite the extra eyelets, the FCR is a lightweight fork that isn’t intended to carry lowrider racks. Fender mounts are, of course, included.
If you run a Dynamo hub up front, Fyxation has included internal routing for the hub’s wiring to keep things protected and looking clean. Brake line routing to the fork’s flat disc mount remains external.
The Sparta FCR uses a 12mm thru-axle with a clever design feature; if you choose to ride it with the lever attached to the axle, the lever can be pulled off and used as a 5mm hex wrench. Alternately, the lever can be removed to achieve a cleaner look and lighter weight.
The FCR’s measurements and tire clearances are identical to the QR version. The Sparta FCR’s MSRP is $420. Both new Sparta models are available now at Fyxation dealers or online.