Current Projects chat and miscellany

It's time to replace the bb on my Donohue (well past time actually). Is there an alternative to GXP if I'm using Omniums? I'm not doing anywhere near as many miles as I used to on that bike but they never seem to last very long.

Hope make a “conversion kit” that allows you to use a bottom bracket designed for 24mm axle. (Shimano/Hope etc).

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/bottom-brackets/hope-bottom-bracket-truvativ-gxp-conversion-kit/

Hi everyone, not used to this site at all - used it once a while back - but I was wondering can anyone help here?

Steel frame with 1" tube and carbon forks - but quill stem... how does this work? ive seen it done a few times but dont know how.. is it a headset conversion? is the quill just gripping the inside of the carbon tube? whats going on here and how easy is it to do?

Best,

J

like this

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Carbon forks on old bikes with threaded headsets will have an alu (or steel?) steerer.

Edit- they’ll probably have a steel steerer if threaded.

oh yeah of course - metal tube but carbon forks... i just forgot they existed thanks

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so question number 2 - a slightly more tricky one possibly... does anyone know how to make my steerng.. less responsive?

The trouble is, its so clean and new in there, that if i lift the bike a little the front end flops down loose, all the way round, usually sending my calliper crashing into my downtube....

I quite like it on older steel frames where the steering axis isnt loose like blowing in the wind, its more just that it wont turn any further than when you move it.. usually it looks like thats because theres a good amount of darkened grease keeping it slow and squishy...

any ideas? maybe some kind of incredibly thick but clean and slow moving grease?

if i lift the bike a little the front end flops down loose, all the way round

You need to refine your portage.

oo i dont know what that means, it sounds like an expensive soup. will do some research thanks

Tighten your headset/Cane creek viscoset/Steering stabiliser spring?

@mdcc_tester It looks like portage just means how you carry you bike... is that what you meant to say? Refine looks like it means 'make better' so is the solution that I need to make better the way I carry my bike?

Hi timmah thanks maybe my stem is on tighter than my top cap and is leaving the whole thing a bit loose... although theres no noticeable play... il try this anyway it would make sense thinking about it since my fork is uncut thanks

It’s like frankenbike all over again

#bringbacklynchman

is the solution that I need to make better the way I carry my bike?

Yes

thank goodness you're here @mdcc_tester, and to think I only just used this...

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loosen everything and re-do the tension on the top cap before touching the stem bolts, once you think it's done bang the front wheel down on the floor a couple of times then re-check the headset tension. On some set ups you can have the headset without any play but it can still feel loose when riding or lifting the bike, it just needs a tiny bit more tension.

Thanks Sumo, I will do it just this way.

In the vein of beginners technical questions, can I ask another:

An old steel frame with a threaded headset.
A long quill stem
Carbon alloy forks

Can the three party together in harmony? - On a very beginners bike, ridden in a relatively upright stance, that will be doing about 10 miles per hour around London. The reason for wanting the carbon alloy forks at all is due to the fact a small, un-strong individual will be carrying it up and down stairs every day. That's the why.

Now, it seems from a cursory look quite difficult to find carbon alloy forks that come pre-threadded.... im guessing theres a reason for this, perhaps 'they' don't want people using the above set up... but why is that? and if I cant buy a threaded carbon alloy fork.. what if I just cut my own thread into the alloy steerer?

What are your thoughts on this?

why is that?

The wall thickness required of an aluminium steerer is such that you can't have a 22.2mm quill inside a 25.4mm thread. Only steel will work in this situation.

The best way to get a light front end on a bike with a 1" headset is to use an all carbon fork and change the headset and stem to the AHead type.

What are your thoughts on this?

Do you have a vendetta against this person? 😂

Why can’t you forget the threaded headset and quill stem and go threadless?

difficult to find carbon alloy forks that come pre-threadded

It's because threaded steerers were being phased out when carbon forks were being phased in. Wouldn't advise threading yourself. Get a threadless fork and headset and ahead stem

edit: What @MCamb said
edit2: and tester. point well made i guess

I see, that makes sense.. my only issue with changing to a threadless headset, is that once I do, it becomes significantly more complicated to get the same height on the bars as an extra-long quill stem would give me.

Instead, I have to get the uncut forks... add a maximum amount of spacers, attach the stem, attach some deep rise handlebars... its alot more parts

If I stick with the heavier steel fork, I just plop a £10 high-rise quill stem in there and away I go

Carbon forks with a threaded steel steerer tube? is that even a thing? not sure how much weight im even saving at this point... il have a look at some other solutions

*

https://www.tartybikes.co.uk/20_inch_stems/trialtech_race_forged_stem/c29p10462.html

Could get this stem if you want high rise

yeah, the issue with that, is that it actually raises the bars very little, it just throws them forward... I don't really need them to drastically move horizontally, but I do want them to move drastically upwards...

What if you had just what you have in that picture^^, but it barely moved forward at all, and went straight up vertically?