Converting 1" to 1 1/8" Fork

J. McClendon said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the LBS
said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

I can't imagine where you got that impression. The headtube is definitely not big enough. There are
1" threadless forks and headsets if you feel the need for that.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you _`\(,_ | killed all of us?
From every corner of Europe, hundreds, (_)/ (_) | thousands would rise up to take our places.
Even Nazis can't kill that fast. -- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

"J. McClendon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the LBS
said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

You can go the other way if you really want to, but if the headtube's 1", that's what the fork
needs to be.

I've got a carbon threadless Time fork on my Bontrager (really old-school compact!) that's 1". I
know Columbus made Muscle forks 1", and I'm pretty sure that Reynolds makes 1" steerer forks.

Mike

jam-<< Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at
the LBS said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done. >><BR><BR>

'Probably' not-geeezzz...No cannot do it. You can go the other way tho-1 inch onna 1 1/8inch HT

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

in article 872pb.85802$vj2.71250@fed1read06, Mike S. at mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet wrote on
01.11.2003 23:12pm:

Quoted message said:

"J. McClendon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the
LBS said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

I've got a circa 1992 Litespeed Ocoee (sp?) that was originally 1" threaded. I noticed that it had
aluminum inserts in the headtube that seemed to be thick enough to replace with thinner inserts that
could accommodate 1 1/8" threadless. I popped out the inserts, took them to a machinist and asked
him to replicate them except for expanding the inner diameter appropriately, and they worked like a
charm. (kept the old ones just in case I ever wanted to press them back in)

If your headtube has inserts, you may have similar luck.

J. McClendon said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the LBS
said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

You might be able to pass a 28.6 steerer through a 30mm head tube but to what point? There would be
no room for any standard available headset bearing in that small clearance. And moreover, why? Are
you trying to use an available fork of the wrong dimensions? Arranging a swap for the right fork
will prove more fruitful than redesigning and fabricating a very unusual headset from scratch.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

How would I do that? 1" fork to 1 1/8" HT? Thanks

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

jam-<< Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at
the LBS said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under
the impression that it could be done. >><BR><BR>

'Probably' not-geeezzz...No cannot do it. You can go the other way tho-1

inch

Quoted message said:

onna 1 1/8inch HT

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

A Muzi said:

J. McClendon said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the
LBS said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

You might be able to pass a 28.6 steerer through a 30mm head tube but to what point? There would be
no room for any standard available headset bearing in that small clearance. And moreover, why? Are
you trying to use an available fork of the wrong dimensions? Arranging a swap for the right fork
will prove more fruitful than redesigning and fabricating a very unusual headset from scratch.

Before I go off and start measuring and all, is there anyone who has actually tried to fit a 1
1/8" steerer into a 1" head tube? If so, how much clearance is there? Im wondering if there is any
way to produce either an adapter or an actual headset that will make this work. For whatever
reason, it appears the industry is moving to 1 1/8" steerers for a lot of applications and there
are still a lot of 1" head tube frames that are good quality and could maybe use a newer fork to
extend their lives.

I know you "cant" do this with what is out there. Is it "possible" to make something that will
allow it to work short of cutting off the head tube and brazing (welding? glueing? taping??) a new
head tube on?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

J. McClendon said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the
LBS said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

(am)>>You might be able to pass a 28.6 steerer through a 30mm head

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

tube but to what point? There would be no room for any standard available headset bearing in that
small clearance. And moreover, why? Are you trying to use an available fork of the wrong
dimensions? Arranging a swap for the right fork will prove more fruitful than redesigning and
fabricating a very unusual headset from scratch.

Dan Brussee said:

Before I go off and start measuring and all, is there anyone who has actually tried to fit a 1
1/8" steerer into a 1" head tube? If so, how much clearance is there? Im wondering if there is any
way to produce either an adapter or an actual headset that will make this work. For whatever
reason, it appears the industry is moving to 1 1/8" steerers for a lot of applications and there
are still a lot of 1" head tube frames that are good quality and could maybe use a newer fork to
extend their lives.

I know you "cant" do this with what is out there. Is it "possible" to make something that will
allow it to work short of cutting off the head tube and brazing (welding? glueing? taping??) a new
head tube on?

If it were absolutely necessary I would think a very thin steel cup with a bearing assembly much
larger hanging outside the headtube might be possible to fabricate.

But again, to what end? Forks are dirt cheap in comparison.

There's no shortage of good quality one inch format forks at reasonable prices.

You asked about the clearance. As I mentioned, the steerer of a 28.6mm fork is really 28.6mm. The
inside of a 30mm bore is really 30mm ( well, 30.2) . Often thicker in the unmachined area.

So you have about a half a millimeter to work with . Really, forks are cheaper.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

'Probably' not-geeezzz...No cannot do it. You can go the other way tho-1 inch onna 1 1/8inch HT

I wish to go the other way round, ie: fit a one inch fork to a bike frame with 1+1/8TH" headtube.
Where/can i buy reducer cups to reduce the headtube's internal diameter to accomodate my 1" fork
aquired free, to save me buying a new 1+1/8th" fork, and if i can do this, do i need to buy a new
headset or will the 1/8th headset work with the reducer cups and 1" fork. or am i being stupid and
none of this is possible??

thanks..

(John.w) said:

I wish to go the other way round, ie: fit a one inch fork to a bike frame with 1+1/8TH"
headtube...

[SNIP]

A Chris King Devolution headset could be a nice solution for you. Two sizes made for two situations:
using a 1-1/8" threadless steerer with a 1-1/4" head tube, or using a 1" threadless steerer with a
1-1/8" head tube.

chrisking.comhds devo.htmlOpen ↗

Nicholas Grieco

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to replace a threaded 1" headset with a 1 1/8" threadless headset? A guy at the LBS
said probably NOT; said the steerer tube wouldn't fit through the headtube. I was under the
impression that it could be done.

Probably not????? I would keep away from that bike shop. The answer is obviously NO. Pretty simple
to see how this is not possible.
-----------------
Alex

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Before I go off and start measuring and all, is there anyone who has actually tried to fit a 1
1/8" steerer into a 1" head tube?

Yes, I tried and succeeded. But my circumstances may be unusual. My HT was of a larger diameter and
had an insert to reduce down to 1" threaded HS dimensions. (see my previous post)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If so, how much clearance is there?

I guess it depends on how standardized the head tube diameters are. I can't measure my head tube now
without disassembly, and maybe a ti HT is different from a steel HT which is different from a
aluminum HT, etc. But I'd check your particular bike just to see what the actual HT dimensions are
before concluding one way or the other.

Quoted message said:

But again, to what end? Forks are dirt cheap in comparison.

There's no shortage of good quality one inch format forks at reasonable prices.

I shopped for one inch forks before undertaking my fix, and there were definitely fewer of them for
1" (this was about a year ago). And in any case, if you want to take advantage of mail order
blowouts, they are mostly 1 1/8" which is clearly the standard going forward.

I certainly found that the cost of fabricating new HT inserts to accommodate 1 1/8" was much less
than the savings on blowout sale forks, i.e., it was well worth making a modification that gave me
access to many more forks at mush better prices.

Quoted message said:

You asked about the clearance. As I mentioned, the steerer of a 28.6mm fork is really 28.6mm. The
inside of a 30mm bore is really 30mm ( well, 30.2) . Often thicker in the unmachined area.

So you have about a half a millimeter to work with . Really, forks are cheaper.

Seems like it's still worth actually measuring before coming to any final conclusion, just in case
the HT tubing is of non-standard dimensions and has an insert to resolve the difference.

good luck