1" steel fork questions: modern good sources? threadless?

[mhespenheide]

So: my first good bicycle was a 1987 Bianchi Campione d'Italia. I still own it. I have a fair sentimental attachment to it, and resurrected it a couple years ago to use in Eroica California '16. It went great. Mostly. I was running skinny 28's with 1-2mm of clearance and enough mud accumulated to force me to stop to clear out the fork and rear brake bridge a few times (which left me stopped on the side of the road to watch Andy Hampsten and Tom Ritchey ride by, but that's another story).

As is the current fashion, I'd like to run even bigger tires with a little more room for them to breathe, if possible. The fork is confounding me. A complicating factor is that I'm 6'4" and the steerer tube on the old for is 245mm, longer than most. If I and the frame were shorter, there are some suitable candidates I could find second-hand, but the size makes it harder.

Here are some options that I have been able to suss out so far:

1. Soma makes threaded 1" forks that look like the have more clearance, but not with a long enough steerer tube.
2. Tange makes a very interesting 1" fork that they claim fits 32's (awesome!), but it's only available in threadless. I don't mind that, in theory, but 1" threadless stems are hard to find, and I'd prefer the aesthetics of a -17 degree stem here. Perhaps a custom stem?
3. There are some generic 1" threaded steel forks available through eBay, but who knows what you're getting there.
4. Waterford/Gunnar will build me a custom fork, although obviously for more $$.
5. Keep my eyes peeled for a suitable used fork (possible cannibalized from a donor frame/bike) with the right dimensions.

Any other thoughts/ideas?

[newellbt]

I'm going through a similar search. I will likely grab a tange or one of the soma forks as well and take it as a moment to swap the headset for threadless; I will use a 1 1/8" stem with a 1" shim just as the modern Richard Sachs bikes are setup.

[Look585]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Here are some options that I have been able to suss out so far:
[*]Tange makes a very interesting 1" fork that they claim fits 32's
Any other thoughts/ideas?

I have one of these I'd sell cheap. Clearance is huge, I ran 32s under short reach calipres. I think it has ~240mm of steerer left.

[Kontact]

I would seriously consider a "cheap" chromed steel fork, but purchased through a bike shop. They'll have gotten it from a reputable source, and they will stand behind it fitting your bike.

If you weren't a big guy I could dithering about nicer riding forks or whatever, but chances are an overbuilt OEM type fork will ride nicely for you.


Otherwise, check in with brands like Tange, Origin 8, IRD, Rivendell, Surly or Velo Orange. Even if they don't show the right length or diameter online, it is worth an email to see if they have a one off for you.

[YoKev]

I just went through this recently for my Ted Wojcik roadie.

I ended up having him make a 1" threadless fork for me (easily clears 28's), and I found a Steelman 1" threadless stem for $25 shipped on eBay about a year later (bye bye stem shim).

Point being is that it may be tough to find exactly what you want if you go threadless on eBay or elsewhere in 1" configuration unless you have ultimate patience.

Good luck!

[Ken Robb]

Rivendell occasionally has some extra steel forks to sell. You might want to phone for info/availability.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by Look585

I have one of these I'd sell cheap. Clearance is huge, I ran 32s under short reach calipres. I think it has ~240mm of steerer left.

If it's threadless, I'd need more like ~255mm. I'm right around 245mm on the threaded fork steerer right now.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by Kontact

I would seriously consider a "cheap" chromed steel fork, but purchased through a bike shop. They'll have gotten it from a reputable source, and they will stand behind it fitting your bike.

If you weren't a big guy I could dithering about nicer riding forks or whatever, but chances are an overbuilt OEM type fork will ride nicely for you.


Otherwise, check in with brands like Tange, Origin 8, IRD, Rivendell, Surly or Velo Orange. Even if they don't show the right length or diameter online, it is worth an email to see if they have a one off for you.

I'm 6'4" but 180. I guess that puts me in the midrange of the general population, so it's not like I'm 135 riding a MAX frame. I'd rather it not be completely overbuilt...

You're right, it could well be worth an email or five. Most of those guys only list 1.125" forks online, but who know what they've got hiding in warehouses.

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by newellbt

I'm going through a similar search. I will likely grab a tange or one of the soma forks as well and take it as a moment to swap the headset for threadless; I will use a 1 1/8" stem with a 1" shim just as the modern Richard Sachs bikes are setup.

What do you do if you don't want the stem down near the headset, but rather in a traditional -17 degree setup? I'm imagining an awkward combination of inner-and-outer spacers below the stem.

[andrewsuzuki]

Waltworks can make you a custom fork for $385.

waltworks.com

[zzy]

At your height, good luck finding a suitable threaded used fork. Also, all this to gain a bit of mud clearance? You'll also be throwing off the geo with a likely taller a-t-c. When I have to deal with this I usually convert it to threadless as you have way more options, both for forks and stems. Seems like the far simpler solution is a smaller front tire..

[mhespenheide]

Originally Posted by zzy

At your height, good luck finding a suitable threaded used fork. Also, all this to gain a bit of mud clearance? You'll also be throwing off the geo with a likely taller a-t-c. When I have to deal with this I usually convert it to threadless as you have way more options, both for forks and stems. Seems like the far simpler solution is a smaller front tire..

Not just mud clearance. Bigger tires! Because, really, we all need something to obsess about. Mine is that, for me and for the poor-condition roads around here, 700x30-32 is the my sweet spot for tires. Why not see if I can make that work?

I'm totally willing to change to threadless. I'm still having a hard time seeing the finer points of that, as I asked above: is a -17 degree workable? If so, do you use a tall-stack stem like the VeloOrange? Or run a ton of spacers? If you're trying to adapt a 1.125" stem on to a 1" steerer, does that use two different sets of spacers -- one outer, one inner? I like quill stems for a vintage-ish bike, but if threadless is the way to go, I'll do it.

As to the axle-to-crown measurement, the good side about being this tall is that since the wheelbase (and the rear wheel axle to lower head tube end) is so long that changing the AtC by a centimeter doesn't even amount to a 1 degree change in the seat tube and head tube angles. I'll admit that I don't know what it does to the trail, though.

[choke]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

I'm totally willing to change to threadless. I'm still having a hard time seeing the finer points of that, as I asked above: is a -17 degree workable?

Yes a -17° can work. I own two bikes with threadless steerers and both have -17° stems installed.

If so, do you use a tall-stack stem like the VeloOrange? Or run a ton of spacers?

Those are both going to depend on your fit. The stem that I use has a tall stack height to begin with and I have minimal spacers under it.

If you're trying to adapt a 1.125" stem on to a 1" steerer, does that use two different sets of spacers -- one outer, one inner?

No. You need a sleeve for the stem and then you can use 1" spacers elsewhere. Alternatively, if the spacer covers the other exposed parts of the steerer tube you can use 1 1/8" spacers everywhere.

[mt2u77]

650b conversion? That or harvest a fork off a decent big boy 70s/80s road bike. They tended to have pretty good clearance in those days, especially if built for 27” wheels and you convert to 700c.


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[gngroup]

Steve Hampsten just built me a custom steel 1” fork with plenty of clearance.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=209810