Tips for new carbon fork?

[FlashUNC]

Does the CAAD even have a crown race? Or does the bearing just travel on an integrated carbon "race" on the crown?

Lot of bikes with integrated headsets just do that these days.

[glepore]

He's got a Caad 10, it has a crown race. The post '15 supersix fork is the point where c'dale went integrated race, some cadd12's use this fork, some use the standard crown race (older fork).

[batman1425]

Fork installs are one area I don't mess with, not because I'm not capable, but I just don't have the right tools. I have to pull a race or cut a fork maybe once a year at best. Can't really justify the tool investment. It can be done with improvised tools, but it's easy to screw up an ruin a fork. Better IMO to have the shop do it. Mine charges me around $40 for a crown race set and cut to length.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by cadence90

Please don't take this as an insult; it is absolutely not meant as such.

If you do not have the proper tools and some experience, this is a job that is actually fairly easy to royally screw up, and that screw-up can cost you $$$ and head-/heart-ache...whereas your LBS can do it accurately, affordably, and quickly.
.
.

And they've already made the mistake of forgetting to add in the height of the stem when measuring and cutting the carbon steerer. They did it once, they took another fork out of inventory and moved on.

Not that any of us would forget... Or cut a difficult to find 1" full carbon Colnago fork too short. Nope. Not me.

[cadence90]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

And they've already made the mistake of forgetting to add in the height of the stem when measuring and cutting the carbon steerer. They did it once, they took another fork out of inventory and moved on.

Not that any of us would forget... Or cut a difficult to find 1" full carbon Colnago fork too short. Nope. Not me.

Well, well...look at you feelin' all braggadocious and proud and "Nope. Not me.", just because PLF and sales guy came through once again and found you a 1" Colnago expander plug in like around a hour....


.
.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by cadence90

Well, well...look at you feelin' all braggadocious and proud and "Nope. Not me.", just because PLF and sales guy came through once again and found you a 1" Colnago expander plug in like around a hour....


.
.

Yea, that was amazing...I've been looking for one for years...I don't think it was even an hour...

And I still remember discarding the wedges and retaining rings of one of those expander bolts many years ago. The original design was a bit wonky...bits would fall down the steerer tube. I had no idea that they would become unobtanium.

And that fork was cut down years ago too...when I was younger and almost as stupid. Not that I did it...just sayin'.

But the box for my fork cutting guide does have a handwritten note scrawled on the outside "add stem height, dummy!"

How does the saying go...

Good judgement comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad judgement.

[cadence90]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

Not that I did it...just sayin'.

Of course not...I would never even think such a thing!

In fact, I would bet cash-on-the-barrel-head that the same dummy (not you, of course) who cut the steerer, forgetting to add the stem stack, is the same dummy who scrawled "add stem height, dummy!" to the outside of the box of your fork cutting guide. Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket. What a real dummy that guy must have been, jeez....




.
.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by cadence90

Of course not...I would never even think such a thing!

In fact, I would bet cash-on-the-barrel-head that the same dummy (not you, of course) who cut the steerer, forgetting to add the stem stack, is the same dummy who scrawled "add stem height, dummy!" to the outside of the box of your fork cutting guide. Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket. What a real dummy that guy must have been, jeez....




.
.

Well at least I, I mean he, learn(s) from some of my mistakes.

[weisan]

You can do it.

If still worried, get someone to walk you through or watch them do it one time. Once you have done it, it's a piece of cake and mostly self -inflicted fears like a lot of things in our lives.

[93KgBike]

You should definitely do it it yourself. I don't even understand all the kvetching about mistakes and experiences and stuff; over a bike fork? I have survived mistakes 1000 times as costly. You can definitely do it, but it won't make you any wiser, unless you are the kind of person that thinks things over during or after the fact, which you don't appear to be. Build it uncut, measure it, measure it, measure it, eat a sandwich, measure it, cut it. Ganbate

PS - Careful about the dust from cutting it. IT CAN DAMAGE YOUR LUNGS

[NHAero]

Oddly, I lost the darn crown race itself, so now I'm waiting from a new one from Cannondale Experts - duh! Had it in my pocket Friday and it wasn't there at the end of the day.
I got it off the old fork easily, I have some 1-1/2" PVC if my friend's crown race tool doesn't have the 1-1/4" adapters, and I'll do a more complete search online to see if there are recommended lubricants - someone somewhere knows what is compatible with CF and what isn't and has likely posted this info.
I'm not worried about cutting the fork steerer properly....
Thanks for the encouragement :-)

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by 93KgBike

You should definitely do it it yourself. I don't even understand all the kvetching about mistakes and experiences and stuff; over a bike fork? I have survived mistakes 1000 times as costly. You can definitely do it, but it won't make you any wiser, unless you are the kind of person that thinks things over during or after the fact, which you don't appear to be. Build it uncut, measure it, measure it, measure it, eat a sandwich, measure it, cut it. Ganbate

PS - Careful about the dust from cutting it. IT CAN DAMAGE YOUR LUNGS

I Windex the tube in and out before and during cutting to trap the dust.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by glepore

I'm in the diy camp.
However, as others have pointed out, measure twice, cut once. Do you want steerer above the stem for a spacer, etc?

A guide is nice. Park makes a good one. The stem suggestion is good, two even better, one above, one below, spacer in the middle (I know, who has a bunch of stems lying around?). I'm a cowboy, the last couple I've cut have been clamped in a metal bandsaw, which makes short work and cuts straight.

I use two stems, back to back, with a blade-width between them for the saw, no spacer, to cut steerers. I don't mess with crown races.

[eddief]

i think i will never get the n+1 bike except i've had nearly 50 in 15 years. think i could spring for one of these but have not:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...xoC0XEQAvD_BwE

[Kontact]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

I use two stems, back to back, with a blade-width between them for the saw, no spacer, to cut steerers. I don't mess with crown races.

Are they steel stems to prevent from cutting into them?