1 1/8th introduced

KenG

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Hi All
just wondering when 1 1/8th headset frames were first introduced,I've just acquired what I think is an early nineties frame,the brand went bust in 1991,and I assumed it was going to need a 1 inch headset,on removing the old headset races and comparing them to ones i have in the garage its definitely going to need a 1 1/8th.
It has rather unusual tubing as well,it has a 32mm top and seat tube with a 35mm down tube,the unusual thing is they're all oval at the ends were they attach to one another,also the companies name is embossed into the seat stay ends,I'll post some photos if anyone wants a gander.Its probably nothing special, the frame has a nice "ping" to it,similar to my Tange framed Marin, but I'm getting strangely drawn to the more unusual stuff offered in the early nineties when everyone wanted a piece of the action.

:D
 
Threaded or ahead set? The former has been around in 1 1/8" for donkeys, though was little used. Dunno when 1 1/8" Ahead arrived but I'm sure one of my compadres will know.
 
1.1/8" from 1990/91 onwards. in stages.

some manufacturers kept there lower end models on 1" 94/95. where, some just carpeted the range with 1.1/8" from 1992+

Yes please ken, bang some pics up, i wanna see it. :)
 
Having now done a bit of reading it would seem thread less headsets were about in the 30's but it was Dia Compe who actually first patented a system, and Cane Creek bought the rights and still own the Aheadset name.

1 & 1/8" threaded has also been around for a while, the earliest reference ican did is the fifties. However, it's use seems rare and it doesn't seem that have really taken off until it met thread less when Dia Compe first patented it in 1991.

So it has been about in small number in various standards for a good while, and thread less even longer, but 91 would seem to be the year both came together.
 
Tazio":3l2jvr6k said:
Am I going mad or did a lot of companies and shops refer to 1 1/8th as Avenger?

Tioga certainly did. 1.1/8 at one point was regarded as oversized too, around 90/91. often embossed on top lock nuts.
 
Not sure if raleigh usa retooled their head tube casting from 1" to 1 1/8th in technium models, that would have been expensive but technium available since 87 or 88 I think.

Mine has a tioga avenger headset, very solid but pretty heavy too. Reallystruggled to find a replacement, ordered one from usa but sods law they're on ebay now for a very reasonable price.
 
fisher were using 1 1/4 in the 80, s and they had ovalised seat tubes where they met the bb.
 
Fisher evolution... then along came 1 1/8, which became the new standard. I still have my cool-tool 1 1/4 hs adaptor somewhere.
 
As above threadless (aheadset) came late in 1992 to the public. Came out as Standard, OverSize and Evolution as they were called back then.

1/1-8" as far as I know, started it's move into MTB in the late 80's, many converted before (~1990) aheadset came about but they then standardised on 1 1/8 threadless around the mid 90's.

The tubes you mention are possible Tange Concept (don't think they went that large) or if a bit more extreme then possibly Columbus MAX OR (at that size). They were the typical ones. MAX is probably earlier. No doubt others copied, but it was not a cheap thing to do (or buy).

I think Tange Concept was 30 in the centre and no other sizes (top and down) the lesser tubing came in 35 (34.9) though, but it'll not be ovalised at the end.
MAX-OR (or MAX normal as far as I know) came in the sizes you mention. I can measure and if so you have a top end frame sat there.
 

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