Tapered Head tube?

Apparently my bike (Ghost ASX 4900) has a tapered head tube from 1.5" to 1"1/8th, now I am looking to upgrade from the Suntour forks currently fitted but find myself limited if looking at tapered steerer forks.
I have seen the adapters to reduce down to 1"1/8th, which would broaden my options when looking at used forks a year or two old.

Has anyone experience of using these adapters? What is required? Is it a good idea? Or should I stick with tapered forks?

My Rune has a tapered head tube and I use a Hope headset. Fir six months or so I ran my old 36's in it with the Hope step down system (a block of aluminium that basically makes the 1 1/8 steerer 1.5 so the large race will fit).

It appeared to work fine but the lower bearing didn't last long. I decided that there must be a tiny amount of movement due to the extra interface which was exaggerated by longer travel forks. The same thing has happened to two other people I know using the same headset.

I've just changed to a fork with a tapered steerer.

If you can afford to get a tapered fork, I would because it's the 'proper' solution. However, the step down systems will work and may last longer on a shorter travel fork.

Like Mindmap3 I have used the hope step-up block. For me it worked fine.
That said, I prefer a tapered fork in a tapered head tube, but that's me all over.

I have a nearly new Magura Thor for sale with a tapered steerer but it is 140mm travel and 20mm thru axle so might be more heft than you're after.

thanks for the replies, It would seem that tapered headtube & steerer is the preferred option then.

At 140mm travel that Thor fork is at the top end of the travel I want, but the thru-axle is a problem as my wheels are standard 9mm q/r .
Which raises the question, should I change to a thru-axle instead of the q/r ?
And as the front hub is a low end SRAM MTH-306 I guess this will mean a new compatible hub/wheel as well??

:facepalm:

Personally I prefer bolt through axles, especially on longer travel forks (from 130mm upwards really) but it does present an issue with wheels. I doubt very much that your Sram hub is convertible so it will mean a new wheelset. The only good news is that there are some cracking deals out there at the mo (Halfords have up to 40% off Hope stuff at the mo).

The good news is that if you buy something like a Hope wheels they are very adaptable so should last ages.

It is a pain though and would be easier if bike manufacturers could stick to a simple set of standards although that will never be in their interests!

There is only 2 fotks steerer standard forget 1"

And 3 axle: 9 mn qr 15 mm and 20 mm thru axle.

That is tiny cimpare to seat post diameters.

There is only 2 fork steerer standards forget 1"

Click to expand...

Isn't there 1.5" too?

problem with differing steerers and axles mean the differing permutations increase - I've actually bought 2 pairs of 120mm rebas to mix & match to get 1.125" with QR & will sell on the taper fit 15mm axle ones - when I get round to it

oh then there's the differing wheel sizes to contend with too :roll:

There is but I think its kind of died a bit if a death with the adoption of tapered head tubes.

02gf74":xs1qe63k said:

There is only 2 fotks steerer standard forget 1"

And 3 axle: 9 mn qr 15 mm and 20 mm thru axle.

That is tiny cimpare to seat post diameters.

Click to expand...

this is true, but... seat post cost compared to fork costs, then throw in the axle configuration, can be a bit costly...

I'm going to keep it simple and go for a set of Fox 32's probably in 120mm travel flavour (frame is 125mm travel at the rear) as they have the 9mm q/r dropouts, and with a tapered steerer, so should be a straight swap (famous last words ).

Anyone have anything to add to that before I scour the internet classifieds for something suitable?