How to fit forks to frame - and which will fit?

stokieshinobi

Hi all, hope you can help...

I have bought a cube carbon frame for a bit of a winter project to get this bike ready as a best bike. It however did not come with forks. My plan was to put my Zertz on but they will not fit, as you can see from the picture the fit at the top of the forks does not marry up nicely



How do I know what forks will fit properly? I was considering these, how do I know if they will look right?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-Carbon-bike-forks-fixed-gear-bike-bicycle-700C-UD-Glossy-OEM-/261667923430?var=560535828828&hash=item3cec9fa5e6:m:mHb7ymrdDLjZuNjfHTW8w_A

Also, the head tube on the new frame has no bearing or nothing in it - where can I acquire these? i.e. what additional parts do I need to fit forks into an empty head tube?

Thanks for any help offer
Cheers

bbrap

This should get you started
http://www.cube.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/faq/Headset_Identification_Guide.pdf

Ouija

That just looks like a straight steerer (1-1/8), Semi integrated, Zero stack headset with a 50mm upper and lower outer diameter (might want to measure it with a pair of calipers, just to be sure). The Zertz will work fine in that frame but were aesthetically designed for a straight steerer (1-1/8), non-integrated, traditional headset with a skinnier headtube diameter, hence the reason the top of the fork looks narrower than the bottom of the frames headtube. However, if the bottom of the steerer jiggles about in the frame then there is also a chance it requires a tapered steerer (are the inside diameter of the bearings the same for top and bottom?).

Might want to look for a fork that has a 50mm base at the bottom of the steerer tube if you want it to seemlessly match with the bottom of the frames headtube aesthetically. These are quite hard to find for headsets that have straight steerers as there is no insentive to put the bottom of the steerer on a wide base that matches the bulging bottom of your headtube. It's quite common to see a 50mm base on a fork with a tapered steerer (1-1/8th top, 1-1/2 bottom) as the fatter bottom would touch the edges of the base if they didn't.

Again, if the top and bottom bearings of the headset are the same size then you require a straight steerer with a wide base (hard to find). If the bottom bearing is bigger than the top then you need a tapered steerer with a wide base (which nearly all of them have).

If the former, then what your looking for visually is something like this....



(notice the vast amount of space around the bottom of the steerer).

stokieshinobi

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19777449#p19777449]Ouija[/url] wrote:

That just looks like a straight steerer (1-1/8), Semi integrated, Zero stack headset with a 50mm upper and lower outer diameter (might want to measure it with a pair of calipers, just to be sure). The Zertz will work fine in that frame but were aesthetically designed for a straight steerer (1-1/8), non-integrated, traditional headset with a skinnier headtube diameter, hence the reason the top of the fork looks narrower than the bottom of the frames headtube. However, if the bottom of the steerer jiggles about in the frame then there is also a chance it requires a tapered steerer (are the inside diameter of the bearings the same for top and bottom?).

Might want to look for a fork that has a 50mm base at the bottom of the steerer tube if you want it to seemlessly match with the bottom of the frames headtube aesthetically. These are quite hard to find for headsets that have straight steerers as there is no insentive to put the bottom of the steerer on a wide base that matches the bulging bottom of your headtube. It's quite common to see a 50mm base on a fork with a tapered steerer (1-1/8th top, 1-1/2 bottom) as the fatter bottom would touch the edges of the base if they didn't.

Again, if the top and bottom bearings of the headset are the same size then you require a straight steerer with a wide base (hard to find). If the bottom bearing is bigger than the top then you need a tapered steerer with a wide base (which nearly all of them have).

If the former, then what your looking for visually is something like this....



(notice the vast amount of space around the bottom of the steerer).

Thanks for the help, very useful

I've just checked and the top of the head tube has a smaller diameter than the bottom - so I need a tapered steerer right? So do you think this will fit and line up properly?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121859394041?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

arlowood

stokieshinobi wrote:

[url=<span class= wrote:

Ouija[/url]"]That just looks like a straight steerer (1-1/8), Semi integrated, Zero stack headset with a 50mm upper and lower outer diameter (might want to measure it with a pair of calipers, just to be sure). The Zertz will work fine in that frame but were aesthetically designed for a straight steerer (1-1/8), non-integrated, traditional headset with a skinnier headtube diameter, hence the reason the top of the fork looks narrower than the bottom of the frames headtube. However, if the bottom of the steerer jiggles about in the frame then there is also a chance it requires a tapered steerer (are the inside diameter of the bearings the same for top and bottom?).

Might want to look for a fork that has a 50mm base at the bottom of the steerer tube if you want it to seemlessly match with the bottom of the frames headtube aesthetically. These are quite hard to find for headsets that have straight steerers as there is no insentive to put the bottom of the steerer on a wide base that matches the bulging bottom of your headtube. It's quite common to see a 50mm base on a fork with a tapered steerer (1-1/8th top, 1-1/2 bottom) as the fatter bottom would touch the edges of the base if they didn't.

Again, if the top and bottom bearings of the headset are the same size then you require a straight steerer with a wide base (hard to find). If the bottom bearing is bigger than the top then you need a tapered steerer with a wide base (which nearly all of them have).

If the former, then what your looking for visually is something like this....

[img]<span%20class="skimlinks-unlinked">http://lookfashionbook.com/image/outdoor/cycling/FK-JAVA/10a.jpg</span>[/img]

(notice the vast amount of space around the bottom of the steerer).

Thanks for the help, very useful

I've just checked and the top of the head tube has a smaller diameter than the bottom - so I need a tapered steerer right? So do you think this will fit and line up properly?

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121859394041?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&amp;ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&lt;/span&gt;

The link you have provided is for a 1 1/4" crown race to a 1 1/8" steerer. It is much more common for the taper to be 1 1/2" crown race to a 1 1/8" steerer. One of these for example

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-full-carbon-fork-1-1-8-1-1-2-tapered-integrated-460803?currency=3&delivery_country=190&gclid=Cj0KEQiA5dK0BRCr49qDzILe74UBEiQA_6gA-kUQtIVmAbCd5ppIfn-VBm-dVv8XgasF4xdmPvu-Z08aAlwf8P8HAQ

I think you need to confirm exactly what size of headset bearings you need to fit that frame and then work from there to specify the correct fork/steerer to fit. If you can't measure the dimensions easily then I'd recommend asking your LBS to check what's needed or find a Cube dealer ask them for advice.

You need to work logically and identify which headset bearing you need for that frame. Reading through the Cube data sheet in the link above - it appears to be a bit of a minefield so best to get some informed opinion rather than guessing and hoping. Once you have sorted which bearings are required you can then start looking for a fork/steerer to fit the bill.

This link might help if you know exactly what frame you have. The headset listed is a semi-integrated one meant for a tapered steerer 1 1/2" at the crown race and 1 1/8" steerer - similar to the one I have linked to above.

http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/cube-orbit-z-t-headset-68839.html

The ad gives a list of models and dates that this headset will fit. Hopefully yours is amongst them

keezx

Cube Agree 2015 has 11/8-1/2 " fully integrated headset.
Measure the diameter of the lower headtube and finding a matching fork should be not difficult.

stokieshinobi

It's 40mm at the top, 50mm at the bottom

stokieshinobi

So is that 1 1/2" and 2"

stokieshinobi

I must be measuring wrong because I have found the spec online:

Headset: FSA Orbit I-t integrated, top 1 1/8", bottom 1 1/2

So will this be what I need?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-FSA-Orbit-C-Tapered-Headset-1-1-8-1-1-2-Road-Racing-Cycling-Bike-/361466186408?hash=item5429104aa8:g:7-4AAOSwpDdU-tC3

keezx

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19777924#p19777924]stokieshinobi[/url] wrote:

So is that 1 1/2" and 2"

The spec of the headset diameter is the diameter of the fork steerer.....
I asked for the diameter of the head tube because you want a matching fork....(top of fork crown flush with headtube...)

stokieshinobi

Thanks for all the help guys. I have found the spec of the cube forks:

Use: Road
Wheel size: 28" (700C)
Steerer: 1 1/8" to 1 1/2" tapered carbon fork for integrated headsets
Steerer length: 300mm
Offset: 40mm
Mounting height: 365mm
Fork crown/header: 55mm
Dropout: Standard quick release 9x100mm
Only compatible with tapered headtube frames!
Fits for Cube Agree Frames

Don't suppose anyone has any idea where I will find some forks to this spec?