Threadless HT/HS question
 

So I have a steel frame that has a 1 1/8" HS. I am thinking about getting a 1" threadless steel fork made but I am not sure if there is any way to adapt from 1 1/8' to 1"
I looked on CKs site and CC and could not seem to find what I was looking for.
Thanks Brian

these
 

One option is a Chris King Devolution headset. They may be discontinued, but places like AVTBike and Universal Cycles may still have them in stock.

I might be missing a detail, but why not have the fork steerer made 1 1/8?

HEAVY in steel.

Problem Solvers makes a step down spacer.

Certainly heavier, but someone who is buying a 1" steel steerer is not really in the weight weenie camp in the first place, right? "HEAVY" is relative in that it depends on the user and their application. Some may prefer the stiffer, better "mated" 1 1/8" steerer, even if it weighs more. Of course the op may prefer the 1" for more flex, I do not know.

Steel fork steerer tubes:
25.4mm x 320mm = 272g
28.6mm x 320mm = 386g
So the "penalty" for the 1 1/8" steel steerer is 114g at 320mm or ~0.36g/mm.

That is not insignificant, but for instance the CK 1 1/8"/1" Devolution Threadless headset alone weighs 17g more than the CK 1 1/8" NoThreadSet (115g to 98g).

That Problem Solvers reducer surely weighs next to nothing, and is much less expensive than a new Devolution headset; are they proven long-term reliable?


Moreover, the issue is that the OP already has a 1 1/8" headset ("I have a steel frame that has a 1 1/8" HS"...unless he meant 1 1/8" head tube) so if he chooses the 1" fork steerer he cannot use that headset; he will still have to use either
a Devolution/etc 1 1/8" to 1" threadless headset or
a Problem Solvers/etc 1 1/8" to 1" reducer plus a 1" threadless headset.

I don't get it. I had a 1 1/8" steel fork on my steel Argonaut. If you adapt down using a headset to use the 1" steerer fork, then you'll be using an adapter to fit a stem.

Exactly, and another very good point.
A little reducer here, a little shim there, a little spacer here, a little...pretty soon one is back to that 114g "saved" by going from 1 1/8" to 1" on the steerer diameter, having not saved any money, but in fact having bought more parts, more flex, more oddity, and a bunch more things/interfaces to crackle and creak.

1 1/8" fork steerer is by far the most logical way to go here, imo.

I was thinking about getting a steel fork made for this framet hat has a 1 1/8"HT. I am still undecided on a steel or just get a Ritchey CF fork.

It doesn't have to be. For threadless steerers, a 1 1/8" steel steerer can use thinner walls than a 1" steel steerer, so for the same same stiffness/strength, a 1 1/8" steerer can be lighter than a 1" steerer.

No idea what frame you have, but I have been impressed with Ritchey full carbon forks.

Fro what I have read/heard the ritchy has decent vertical tire clearance. The reynolds yellow label will fit 25's fine but I run 27/28mm tires.
The frame is a steel made by sketchy made of life front/ox platinum rear.

+1 for the Ritchey carbon fork. I have one that's a few years old that easily clears a 28c tire and rides great.