Upgrading forks - steerer cut

Mettan

Thinking of possibly upgrading the steel forks on my budget-Roadie to Carbon (spotted some nice ITM ones, amongst others) - obviously can match the sizing-specs etc but I'm unsure how difficult it is to cut the steerer etc - so, am wondering, has anyone upgraded their forks, cut the steerer tube etc? - is it do-able, difficult etc? Is the process fairly straightforward, any special tools needed etc?

Thanks

cervelorider

Mettan wrote:

Thinking of possibly upgrading the steel forks on my budget-Roadie to Carbon (spotted some nice ITM ones, amongst others) - obviously can match the sizing-specs etc but I'm unsure how difficult it is to cut the steerer etc - so, am wondering, has anyone upgraded their forks, cut the steerer tube etc? - is it do-able, difficult etc? Is the process fairly straightforward, any special tools needed etc?

Thanks

I've cut an alloy and a carbon steerer tube, and it's a pretty straight forward job.
A fine toother hack saw is preferable, and also a smallish mitre-box, as this will ensure you make a cut through the tube at 90 degrees.
Err on the side of caution when cutting - a good idea is to allow the width of a spacer over the size you want you actual length to be. This way you will not be left with too little steerer tube left.
Use some 120-180 grit wet/dry paper to clean up the cut before re-assembly.

Hope this helps.

Monty Dog

Measure twice as you only get one chance at the cut! Assemble the fork, headset and spacers (add extras if you think you need them) and mark the steerer around the top of the stem with a soft pencil or a fine marker pen. Remove the fork and mark your cut line about 3mm below the measured length. Wrapping a piece of clear tape around the steerer minimises splintering. A good saw guide is an old aheadstem - or the underside of a spare one. Use a new saw blade and finish off the end of the steerer with a file or wet and dry to remove any burrs and sharp edges. Depending on whether your headset has a split crown race, - you may need to get your LBS to fit it squarely to the fork if it doensn't

mercurykev

I recently built up a bike and had to cut the steel steerer. It was remakable easy - I used a £1 hacksaw and a piece if tape to mark where to cut. It took about 5 minutes of sawing.

Much trickier was installing the star fangled nut. I had to get a bolt which fitted the nut and bash it in with a hammer, trying to keep the whole thing straight and not bash my fingers.

Mettan

Thanks for the information guys - I'm going to have to look into my headset specs etc aswell - it's a "zero stack sealed aheadset" - (not entirely sure of the terminology).

During the process of swapping to a new stem I noticed that even with the vertical allen bolt out the forks didn't drop right out of the frame, so , am not entirely sure of the internal workings of my headset. Is the fork meant to drop right out with the vertical allen bolt out?

Smokin Joe

Only after the stem has been removed.

John.T

Do not cut the steerer until you are sure of your position. Best to leave it fairly long and fit spacers above and below the stem. This way you can move the stem up and down until you are happy with it and then do the final cutting. A few spacers cost a lot less than a ruined fork. I leave the steerer long enough to fit a 5mm or 10mm spacer above the stem. This still leaves a bit of adjustment but does not look bad.

Mettan

Thanks guys - I'm considering a frame upgrade as an alternative to a fork upgrade - I'll continue looking at the options for both though - some good info though, there.

feel

Am not quite sure on the merits of a carbon fork upgrade. I would have thought the weight saving would be fairly minimal and in return you are getting a harsher ride. I would have thought upgrading the wheels would be a better way to go and if you spend a lot on them you can always transfer them to a new bike if you upgrade your old one.

John.T

A good carbon fork should be lighter, steer more positively and give a more damped ride thane a steel or alloy one. A cheap one may not do all these.

Nine Stone Cowboy

Top Tip - Keep your saw blade nice and wet and don't breath carbon dust. Carbon fibres stuck in your lungs will ruin your life and make you a 'wheezy rider'. And then you will die. Which is not nice. Unless you live in Burnley. And then it's a blessing...

Mettan

Thanks guys - regards weight savings, & general usage, I've already upgraded the rear wheel, the front wheel's next - I'm considering both frame and fork upgrades (my current forks are heavy Steel) - I'll have to mull over the intricacies of the frame upgrade over the next few weeks - if I do go for forks first I'll keep the steerer long/use spacers so when the frame upgrade comes there'll be enough steerer left to fit - it's all a bit messy at the moment though.

Mettan

Any thoughts on the:

Planet X Deda Carbon Forks ?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=23506

Are those full carbon steerers safe/solid at this price point?

meagain

"in return you are getting a harsher ride"

Only if comparing really cheap carbon with really expensive steel, surely?!