Headset Swap

fatbee
fatbee Posts: 581
edited June 2007 in Workshop
Now I suspect there's an obvious answer to this, but it hasn't occurred to yet, so . . .

Is there any reason why I can't (or shouldn't) fit a 1" aheadset and stem to a frame with threaded forks?

Apologies if this is as stupid a question as I fear it might be.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    No reason why you can't do that.

    You will need a new headset and compatible stem and forks. But there is no reason why you can't [:)]

    Mleh Mleh Mleh
  • sjcpcp
    sjcpcp Posts: 604
    This is actually quite a dangerous thing to do, as the steerer threads all provide point of weakness where the steerer could fail.

    A member of my cycling club did this, and the bike rode fine for 12 months, but one day we were going up a steep climb and the force of pulling on the bars split the steerer tube across one of the threads. Luckily, because he was travelling slowly, he only had a low-speed impact with the ground. If the steerer had failed on the 40mph descent after the climb he would have come off much worse.

    Threaded steerers are designed to have the forces generated from inside the steerer tube. i.e. with a quill stem. Ahead systems generate the forces on the outside of the steerer, so having a thread on this area is increasing the chance of failure.
    The only solution is the use a threaded headset with a quill to Ahead adapter or get Ahead compatible forks.
  • monty_dogcp
    monty_dogcp Posts: 382
    Notwithstanding the previous, which I agree with, how / what type of stem would you plan to use and how would you ensure the headset bearings are adjusted correctly? This would be a completely pointless excercise unless you were planning to fit new ahead-style forks.
  • fatbee
    fatbee Posts: 581
    Thanks all.

    MD, my hope was to be able to fit a modern 1&1/8" stem to my existing 1" threaded fork's steerer tube (using the shim that came with the stem.) This after fitting a 1" aheadset in place of the old 1" conventional unit.

    sjcp, many thanks for the warning. I suspected it might be a bad idea, but just needed to be told! Many thanks for taking the trouble so to do.

    I already own one of those converters, so I'll go that route and stop myself trying to be such a cheapskate tw@t!

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