44mm head tube versus 1 1/8.

[Heisenberg]

OS HTs mostly just add (copious) weight on steel & ti road bikes. stick with standard, even with disc.

[philhan89]

1 1/8 does not feel as "front end glued to the road" when descending, it is totally confident just not as much as a tapered head tube. With that being said, my steel bike is 1 1/8, the only tapered head tube bikes i have ridden have been aluminium and carbon. In the end, I prefer my 1 1/8 steel for riding wise and aesthetic wise...

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by Heisenberg

OS HTs mostly just add (copious) weight on steel & ti road bikes. stick with standard, even with disc.

Even with discs? What forks do we get to choose from then?

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

Even with discs? What forks do we get to choose from then?

I was kind of curious myself. I think Whiskey might make a straight disc fork. Inevitably, it would be post mount, though.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

Even with discs? What forks do we get to choose from then?

Disc brakes present different loads on the tubes the calipers are attached to (forks and stays), but they have no affect on the loads seen by the rest of the frame. The head tube (and steerer) sees the same loads regardless of the brake type.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Themountaintop

As previously noted Spirit is a stiff steel,

After a quick review of the Columbus catalog, the opposite appears to be true. All steel alloys have the equivalent modulus of elasticity, so steel tube stiffness is governed chiefly the diameter and wall thickness (diameter being the main variable). Like Columbus's other tube sets, Spirit tubes are available in a variety of diameters, so different Spirit tubes will have different stiffnesses. But for the same diameter tubes, Spirit tubes have thinner walls than other Columbus tube sets. this makes Spirit tubes lighter, but also less stiff, then the same diameter tubes from other tube sets.

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Disc brakes present different loads on the tubes the calipers are attached to (forks and stays), but they have no affect on the loads seen by the rest of the frame. The head tube (and steerer) sees the same loads regardless of the brake type.

Im on board with this i was wondering what forks he knew that is made for disc brakes and 11/8 steerers. Very limited selection.

[robertbb]

Please excuse my ignorance...

Does a 44mm HT allow the use of what Giant/Canyon refer to as "OD2" forks? Namely, 1 1/4-inch at the steerer tube and 1 1/2-inch bottom bearing (crown)?

Is that what we're talking about here?

[cyan]

Originally Posted by prototoast

The stiffness doesn't come from the head tube itself, the stiffness comes from being able to use a tapered fork, and a larger diameter downtube.

This pretty much.

[Heisenberg]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

Disc brakes present different loads on the tubes the calipers are attached to (forks and stays), but they have no affect on the loads seen by the rest of the frame. The head tube (and steerer) sees the same loads regardless of the brake type.

this.

the forks exist, if you know where to find them. or if you make them.

disc steel & ti bikes can be quite heavy owing to OS headtubes, unfortunately. it's market forces dictating supply owing to composite bikes re: fork avail.

[David Kirk]

Pick the steerer you need and then select the head tube to match. There's no stiffness or strength differences between the two head tubes (but the 44 is for sure heavier) so base it on the fork.

dave

[ERK55]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

Im on board with this i was wondering what forks he knew that is made for disc brakes and 11/8 steerers. Very limited selection.

Well, Ritchey is still on board with 1 1/8” disc forks:
—Ritchey WCS Gravel fork.
Axle to crown 380 mm, rake 47
Through axle
Flat mount
—Ritchey WCS Cross fork.
Axle to crown 395mm, rake 45
Through axle or QR
Post mount

[Heisenberg]

[ERK55]

Handsome bike.

[Jeff N.]

The 44mm ID HT allows for the use of tapered (1.125" to 1.25"/ 1.50") steerer tubes, as well as allowing for straight 1.125" steerers by using the appropriate headset. It does it all. That said, if you're going with the standard 1.125" straight steerer, with no intention of maybe switching to a tapered fork later, (especially with a steel fork) then the regular inch-and-a-eighth HT is what you want to go with.