On Saturday night, beneath the intense gentle of a Waxing Gibbous, I made historical past:
Keep in mind in “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark” how Indiana Jones grew to become the primary individual in 1000’s of years to affix the headpiece to the Workers of Ra, and in so doing was capable of finding the movie’s eponymous ark?
Nicely, because of Paul of Traditional Cycle I had my very own Workers of Ra, and with it I grew to become the primary individual in over 1 / 4 of a century to unlock the total potential of the Trek Y-Foil:
And right here it’s on a moonlit shakedown experience:
For years, folks have been setting the Y-Foil up as a triathlon bike on account of its aero design:
[From here.]
However that’s like making an attempt to stay Pterodactyl wings on a T-rex, and it seems what actually belongs on this bike is a suspension fork, go determine:
So allow us to return to the 1998, when Y-Foils roamed the Earth:
And paper magazines have been full of purple prose, like this:
Oy.
Suspension had already conquered the mountain bike market, and by the early-to-mid Nineties shock forks had begun to seem on the entrance of Paris-Roubaix:
To bike designers, street suspension appeared inevitable, and so they have been configuring their choices accordingly:
[1995 Cannondale catalog]
So when Trek have been creating the Y-Foil they determined it needed to be suitable with a suspension fork so that they wouldn’t miss out on the subsequent large factor. That is why the inventory fork has that elongated crown:
This was a race bike, and one Trek would have made obtainable to its sponsored groups–and sure, it’s fully potential US Postal may have determined to make use of the Y-Foil at a race like Paris-Roubaix. Between the beam and a suspension fork a rider would float proper over these cobbles.
However as Trek have been launching the bike, the UCI declared the bike unlawful, so when it comes to advertising it fell into what engineer Jim Colegrove referred to as a “black gap.” It was an aero bike, however it didn’t have the geometry of a real triathlon bike, or the 650c wheels that have been common on the time. The primary 12 months for the Y-Foil was 1998, and in that 12 months’s catalogue it’s simply type of there with no clarification:
A 12 months later they appeared to be pushing it as a triathlon bike:
And after that it was gone.
Trek had supposed for the Y-Foil to be a “mic drop” what with its radical design and all, however as an alternative they type of fumbled with the mic for awhile till it lastly fell into an unflushed bathroom.
Although the suspension compatibility is talked about deep within the technical guide, Trek’s advertising supplies appear to disregard it, Colegrove doesn’t know if anybody has ever truly put a suspension fork on there, and I’ve actually by no means seen a Y-Foil geared up with one myself. So now, 27 years later, I set about configuring the bike the best way Trek supposed, and till I hear in any other case I’m going to go forward and assume I’m the primary civilian ever to take action. To that finish, Paul even despatched me the right wrenches for the scalloped Shimano headset:
Sorry, make that “head components:”
Whereas I’m admittedly inept, I at all times discover that when engaged on a bicycle there’s at all times some type of unexpected drawback, regardless of how ostensibly easy the job could also be. On this case, it was that the entrance brake bolt was too lengthy for the thin brake arch of the Ruby fork:
Moreover, even earlier than discovering this, I’d been involved about utilizing the Zero Gravity brakes with this fork. See, these ultralight single-pivot calipers are so delicate that the cable size should be excellent to ensure that them to remained aligned with the rim–even elevating or reducing the stem a hair is sufficient to shift them out of alignment. So it appeared to me that the motion of a suspension fork would possibly lead to fixed rubbing.
Thankfully, I had simply obtained a fairly well timed package deal from Samantha on the Previous Spokes Residence in Burlington, VT:
[They take donations and also have an eBay store.]
She’d examine my Brake Debacle and despatched me not one however two lovely pairs of 9-speed period Shimano Ultegra brakes. So I put in one of many rear brakes on the Ruby fork:
No drawback:
I nonetheless had one other rear, so I went to put in that, solely to seek out that the rear keep was too thick for the quick nt and bolt. So I used a entrance brake as an alternative, together with the shorter nut from the rear brake:
I doubt that is the “proper” solution to do it, however what the hell, it appears to work.
Typically talking, I don’t actually look after suspension. Nonetheless, while you’re using a motorbike just like the Spouse Oil you’ve bought no selection however to let down your inhibitions:
It’s type of like going to some over-the-top membership or restaurant and being served a ridiculous cocktail–certain, you’d by no means order such a factor, however whilst you’re there you would possibly as properly go along with it, and after just a few sips you begin to give up. Aesthetically, I’d argue it really works in context with the general madness of the bike, and I even assume it appears higher than that weirdly elongated inventory fork. As for efficiency, I’ve solely bought one chilly 20-ish mile experience on it (in addition to the very temporary moonlit shakedown spin), and…to this point it’s form of enjoyable! The bike nonetheless handles properly–being designed for a fork like this it doesn’t do something wacky to the entrance finish–and so it retains its racy character while concurrently making you are feeling such as you’re mendacity on a down mattress topper. After all you will get a lot the identical impact with some greater quantity tires, however keep in mind that this was 1998 and no one thought that means. Try the rear tire clearance:
That tire is nominally a 25, however for those who’re conversant in Gatorskins you know the way slim they run:
By the best way, I put that tire on there after discovering this on Friday:
And sure, that was in truth the inside tube bulging out of there, so I used to be on borrowed time.
One other quirk on the stern of the Y-Foil is how shut the brake caliper is to the water bottle, one thing that didn’t present itself with the a lot shorter Zero Gravity brake:
In reality it’s so shut the cable adjuster truly touches the water bottle:
It’s not a problem in observe, however on a brake with a chunkier adjuster it most likely could possibly be:
Clearance up entrance is equally tight:
In the event you wished to sum up biking the Nineties with a single picture, you possibly can discover no higher one than this photograph of a suspension fork that may barely clear a 25mm tire:
Use a wider tire?
Naaah.
Let’s simply preserve utilizing the identical skinny ones however construct a complete loopy contraption round them as an alternative.
Actually, between the shock-absorbing beam and the suspension fork, your complete bike is one gigantic workaround.
However as soon as you understand and settle for this you may absolutely benefit from the bike in the identical means you could take pleasure in a delicate drink or a quick meals burger that arrives at its deliciousness by having means too many questionable substances. And the fork appears to work…decently:
With out the guide I do not know if the fork is meant to lock out utterly, however with the swap on this place it sorta-kinda does:
At one level I used to be descending with the fork “locked out,” then I got here to the underside of the hill and encountered a stretch of torn up street that was coated with steel development plates. So I reached down and unlocked the fork and between the fork and the beam I actually did kinda float proper over it. Granted, I’d have floated proper over it on certainly one of my Rivendae, and even the Cervino with its 30mm tubular tires, and I wouldn’t have needed to flip a swap, besides, I’m having fun with the novelty issue:
Although as Paul factors out, the elastomers within the fork are temperature delicate. Certain, it’s enjoyable now, however in just a few months it might simply really feel prefer it’s filled with marshmallows.
