Building - Replacing broken forks

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Replacing broken forks

Printed From: BHPC Forum
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Forum Name: Building
Forum Description: Anything to do with building HPVs
URL: https://forum.bhpc.org.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=7814
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 10:38pm
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Topic: Replacing broken forks

Posted By: idc
Subject: Replacing broken forks
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 2:58pm

Hi all,

I'm new here. I acquired a Dave Tigwell Cuckoo a few months ago from his widow and have been enjoying using it around Cambridge(shire). Unfortunately, the carbon fibre & steel forks cracked/gave way while braking a few weeks ago and so it is now out of action until I either repair or replace the forks. It appears they are a custom job (or so my local bike shop tells me), which makes sense given that it is front-wheel drive.

I have put some photos on my proton drive here: https://drive.proton.me/urls/NW37ER41X4#4HONkcwyD7HO" rel="nofollow - https://drive.proton.me/urls/NW37ER41X4#4HONkcwyD7HO

I would love to get it back on the road. It has been an absolute joy to use, including (to my surprise) the electric drive at the back. I didn't think I'd use it, but in fact I've found that for keeping one's speed up going up hill (there are one or two in Cambridgeshire) and for pulling away from the lights, the electric motor is quite helpful.

I wondered if anyone here knew Dave and his bike(s) and might know whether the forks are likely to have been something he built himself, or whether I can find whoever originally made them to enquire about the cost of repair/replacement.

This is the first time I have had anything with carbon fibre forks and I wonder whether steel would be better, given I'm using this for road-going, not for racing. I am a little alarmed that the forks failed when braking and am wondering whether perhaps they might have already been damaged by bumps and potholes, or when I accidentally jumped a kerb (which happened by mistake on a tricky corner when I was first getting used to it).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice you can offer.
Ian

Replies:

Posted By: BarneyH
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 3:25pm

Ian

I knew Dave when he was racing and often swapped homebuilding notes with him, hence selling one of his low racers last year.

I don't think I've seen that bike you've got but did look in detail at how Dave made his forks on another of his carbon front wheel drive machines.

I suspect a repair is possible by grinding out the crack, reweld and then re-wrap in carbon, probably putting a vacuum on to help consolidate layers / cure. You may have seen that Russ and myself are working on front wheel drive bikes for Battle Mountain and basically the last couple of bikes we've built have been done with front wheel drive entirely forks built entirely to the Tigwell philosophy.

I reckon that's fixable - get in touch by PM and we can swap phone numbers if you decide its worth trying.

Barney

Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 3:25pm

Dave was a great character!!

He used to come to all of our events by train.

I’d be amazed if the forks weren’t built by him along with the rest of the bike.

Sadly they will be tricky to replace.

By the way, I don’t think that motor was legal for road use really, if it’s the one I spoke to him about.

Hope you can get it sorted and back on the road!!

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Posted By: idc
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 3:47pm

Thank you, both, for your replies. Barney you'll see I've sent you a PM.

Alan, I did wonder about the motor. And about the single brake on the front wheel only as well. (Looking at the letter of the law, I wondered if Dave was relying on the provision for children's bikes that a bicycle with a seat height under 635mm above the ground only needs one—but I will be more comfortable with a back brake as well, so this is something I was already thinking about adding.)

Posted By: AlanGoodman
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 4:10pm

I think Dave relied on the fact that he lived in the sticks and was unlikely to meet with any hassle from the local constabulary. 😁

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Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 7:37pm

I had the pleasure of spending some time with Dave and his wife at their house, everything was home built, including the large wind turbine, he was a very talented guy and everything he had including his bikes were not off the shelf, well apart from his Citroen 2cv, of course he had rebuilt it and tweaked it. He was a blacksmith by profession.

Posted By: idc
Date Posted: 26 June 2025 at 9:33pm

Thanks, Yanto. I thought what he and his wife had built down in Cornwall was absolutely lovely when I went down to collect the bike at New Year. She was very kind to me and pleased to see that the bike was going to be used. I feel a certain obligation to get it back on the road. (And I like learning new skills.)