Can you swap 1 1/8 inch forks for 1inch forks?

So, I currently have 1 1/8 inch forks installed on my track frame, I was wondering whether I could swap to a 1 inch headset and 1inch forks?

If this makes no sense, please tell me to try again...

Thanks

Well if the 1 Inch is a threadless fork you can do it by using a Chris King devolution headset (maybe there are some cheaper alternatives).

Swapping to a 1 inch threaded headset with fork will be more difficult (also more expensive), and why would you go from ahead to quill?

So they are both threaded.. I just thought I may be able to swap them over? Or would there be a problem with the head tube?

Yes you could fit either a threaded or unthreaded 1" headset and fork either by using headtube reducer shims plus a 1" headset and fork or by using a headset designed to marry a 1 1/8" frame to a 1" fork - the aforementioned CK Devolution being one such example.

I suspect shims and a 1" headset may be cheaper but also possibly less structurally sound.

I've thought about using shims to fit a 1" threaded headset and fork to my Principia for an even more Cannondale Track-esque look but given that the frame is a 58cm it has quite a long headtube and I think I'd struggle to find a 1" threaded fork with enough steerer.

Nice one, so something like this? http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/headset-reducers-alloy-black-prod23588/

Surely the more important question is why you'd want to do this?

basically, im currently riding brakeless and going through loads of tyres. to save le pennies i would like to mount a brake but my 1 1/8 forks aren't drilled and i don't wish to drill them. I do however have some 1" forks and headset lying around and wanted to see if i could use them.

It would be much easier to by a cheap set of 1 1/8 forks

I am picking this up again:

I would like to marry a 1" threaded fork to a frame with a 1 1/8 integrated ahead headtube, and I also would like to use a 1" quill stem. Don't ask why :-)
I have to add that I own a lathe.

The simple solution shall be:

• for the lower end of the headtube, I keep the integrated bearing and fork race. To bridge the gap between the (1 1/8) fork race and the 1" forks, I would make a simple small ring on the lathe.
  
• for the upper end of the headtube, I would get rid of the integrated bearing, and make another ring on the lathe with 41mm OD and 30.2mm ID and a 45° bevel on the bottom, and slip this into the headtube so I can press in a 1" threaded race (or other way round, first press in the race, then slip in the assembly, doesn't matter).
  Then, I can fit the upper cup etc. of the threaded headset, and finally, the quill stem.
  
  

This would actually look quite clean, as I keep the zero stack height at the bottom end of the headtube, and on the upper end, the threaded cup would look nice, too, as most 1" cups have an outer max. dimension of around 43mm which is very similar to the headtube diameter.

What do you think, anything I forgot, or does it work well?

the sketchy part is integrated headset. if it was standard you could just machine a tension fit spacer you could press in (they do it for motorcycles so good enough for pedddle bikes)

Nice one, so something like this? http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/headset-reducers-alloy-black-prod23588/

I've used this in the past, and they work fine - i had some 1" mountain bike forks i wanted to use in a 1& 1/8 frame, all worked flawlessly.

currently have a similar set reducing my 1 & 1/4 headtubed alpinestars commuter to 1 &1/8, again, no problems.

The simple solution shall be:

• for the lower end of the headtube, I keep the integrated bearing and fork race. To bridge the gap between the (1 1/8) fork race and the 1" forks, I would make a simple small ring on the lathe.
  
  

Don't know the forks you are planning to use .. but the 1 1/8 fork race may be larger then the crown on the fork so the race will simply move vertically pushing the forks up into the head tube if it is not sitting on the crown on the fork. Solution would be to make a complete new race ..

Asthetically .. I reserve judgement until seeing this as in my mind I think the transition top and bottom of the headtube could be challenging ?

the transition top and bottom of the headtube could be challenging ?

This. x9000.

Non integrated 1 1/8" forks in an integrated headtube looks gommy as hell, 1" forks are going to look awful.

I see what you mean, technically and aesthetically,
but the forks I'm about to use are no normal forks,
but customized and shortened AMP F1 parallelogram
forks which will look very "unsual" anyway :-)

The ring to bridge the gap between race and fork
steerer will have a flange at the bottom to support
the race, of course.

Won't it need to be interference fit to allow you to tighten headset up properly?

Actually, isn't the steerer on the F1 removeable/replaceable?

What do you mean with interference fit?
Tightening would come from the upper cups/nuts, just like in a full set.

The steerer is only removable on the F2 and later, I think. But as I also want to use a quill stem, I'd like to keep the steerer anyway.

Normally the crown race is interference fit ie very tight and you have to use an installer (or piece of pipe etc) to press it on.

Will you be making the ring in such a size that it has to be pressed on to the steerer and then the crown race pressed onto the ring?

a flanged crown race reducer will propably work, but will also add a little stack to the bottom of the head set.
you would propably want to make a flange on the top reducer making it identical to the one from sjs in the link above.
why would you want to use a quill stem??

Normally the crown race is interference fit ie very tight and you have to use an installer (or piece of pipe etc) to press it on.

Will you be making the ring in such a size that it has to be pressed on to the steerer and then the crown race pressed onto the ring?

Yes, that's what I intend to do.

The reason I would like to use a quill stem, is that I personally find them more beautiful than ahead stems.
Technically I believe both are alright, I never had any *real *problems with either system in everyday life.

Aesthetically, I think the things going on on the upper half of a integrated ahead-set are not more attractive than with a nice threaded headset. It's only the smooth transition between integrated headtube and a suitable fork which is tempting, but I will lose that anyway with my eccentric fork choice (which is also changing geometry alot, but that's another issue. It's going to be an experiment).