Oval r911 JetStream II forks

These are the brand new (and very posh) forks from Oval, the r911. Two models have been released that are underpinned by the same technology, the r911 (tested here) and the a911 which is intended for flat out, aerodynamic efforts such as time trials and triathlons. The r911 is the road performance model, it has raked blades for improved comfort and more responsive handling as well as being lighter for happier hill climbing while the blade shape is legal to use in both UCI and ITU (International Triathlon Union) sanctioned events. These retail at an eye watering £449.99 so do they justify the price tag?

I  tested them on a Felt AR4 which, as standard, comes with Felt's own aero-ish forks so it was interesting to see how the Oval offering compared. Having ridden around 300km on them in anger I have noticed a couple of differences in the ride that are worth noting, the top end speed (on the flat about about 35kph) is more comfortable to maintain and handling seems more controlled. On a stretch of my commute that I could happily zing along at about 35kph and then fade on the climb up toward work but with Jetstream I was turning 38kph and felt like I had a turbo on the climb, only fading to 36kph (it's a mile long drag climb, not steep but steady). The weather was still on both occassions. On training rides I extended my turn at the front from 3 minutes to 5 and felt fine, on flat roads I was turning 38-40kph and dropping people off my wheel but my hr was actually slightly lower than previous rides. Make of that what you will...! I certainly dont feel fitter!!!

In terms of handling, with the standard forks on my bike the front end is a bit twitchy but not so with r911s fitted. Another plus is that the feedback from the road is more muted, not to say that the forks make the road feel spongy but they do dull the road buzz which, around here, is a godsend.

The r911 forks are designed around Oval's multi patented ‘jet stream’ technology. Now, I could go on for some time about how it works, the benefits, the spec etc for this but I will try and cut it down to easy to digest, bite sized chunks. Firstly I should say that the r911’s are using the second generation of Jetstream technology, the aero characteristics have been refined to create a better, sleeker, faster fork.

The primary aim of these bladed forks is to reduce the drag off the front wheel by channelling ‘clean’ or undisturbed air away from the spokes that otherwise would increase the drag. The air isn’t pulled sharply from the wheels, it is channelled away by the forks so as not to create too much drag before dissipating into the ambient air alongside the bike.

You may see disc rear wheels, aero chainsets, seatpost mounted bottle cages and the like but the greatest drag effect on the bike is created by the front wheel, the top of it to be exact. Oval claim to be able to reduce the drag created by the front wheel by as much as 20% over the best possible single bladed fork available (this is tempered by the need for a speed of 50kph + for this 20% to be realised). The new forks still feature the dual blade layout of their predecessors but the blade positions have been swapped relative to the Jetstream 1 forks, the forward legs are now set to the outside of the rear legs.

The fork has been designed by a group of high level engineers, scientists and designers including Dr Mark Drela from MIT in the USA, Bruce Eddington who is the head of carbon technology at F1 team Force India and Oval’s founder Morgan Nicol. With this sort of backup, the jetstream II technology needs to work and when ridden, it feels like it works.

Verdict

The ride is responsive, comfortable and undeniably smooth at high speed. Most apparent to me was the ease at which I could maintain 35+ kph up slight inclines. The forks are a very good addition to any top end steed. The cost, however, means that I couldn’t justify buying a set, not unless I start performing at a very high level. A lovely set of forks for a custom build and the gloss black finish should compliment most frames but for £450 I would find it hard to justify buying these over a new set of half decent wheels. In conclusion, a really high level, technologically advanced and responsive forks but to justify £450 for a set you really need to be at the top of your game with a frame to match.