Carbon forks designed for cyclocross racing face a specific set of demands that road forks don't encounter—repeated remounts that slam the crown, pressure washing after muddy races, and the occasional shoulder carry that torques the steerer in ways road riding never does. The Ritchey WCS Carbon Cyclocross Disc Brake Fork addresses these stresses through a tapered steerer design that runs from 1-1/8 inch at the top to 1-1/2 inch at the crown, concentrating material where impact forces transfer into the frame. This isn't a repurposed road fork with disc mounts added; it's purpose-built for the specific abuse patterns that cyclocross inflicts on equipment.

The fork uses a flat-mount disc brake interface, which has become the dominant standard for drop-bar bikes running disc brakes. Flat-mount positions the caliper closer to the centerline of the bike compared to post-mount designs, improving aerodynamics slightly and creating cleaner sight lines. The axle interface is 12mm thru-axle with 100mm spacing, matching the front hub standard that's now universal across disc brake road and gravel applications. Wheel changes happen quickly despite the thru-axle format, and the increased stiffness over quick-release systems translates directly to more consistent brake feel and better front-end tracking through off-camber sections.

Ritchey specs the fork with a 45mm rake, which works with cyclocross frame geometries to produce handling that's responsive enough for tight course features while remaining stable when you're descending rutted runouts at speed. The uncut steerer length of 350mm accommodates a wide range of frame sizes and stack heights, though most installations will require cutting to length. Crown-to-axle length measures 395mm, which maintains appropriate bottom bracket height when paired with frames designed around 700c cyclocross wheels and tire clearances.... Read More