Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions please

FINNEY1973

Senior Retro Guru
Afternoon all - you know the feeling when your heart sinks...well i've just experienced it so i'd like your opinions please...

Taken stock of a '97 Giant TCR Pro Compact frame & fork today. Came with a headset that felt grumbly so popped it open to clean & regrease - bearings etc look fine, no major issues with it's condition, just not very well maintained.

However, the fork steerer (to my inexperienced eye) looks a bit suspect. Steerer isn't cylindrical all the way down, couple of inches up from the bottom there appears to be a gouge all the way round that isn't even - i.e. doesn't look factory. This gouge would seem to align with the bottom cup and i'm wondering if years of poor maintenance have caused this or is this part of the manufacturing process?

Pics....

Opinions please....
 

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Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Looks messyand may have been repaired at some point but doesn't look unsafe to me. Unlikely the cup lips could have done that unless they were physically touching the steerer which they shouldn't be.
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Messy - correct & yes does look like a repair. It looks like two different metals with some sort of compound glue. There's a sleeve inside the headtube and the bottom edge of it is shiny so i suspect that is what has caused it?? As I say, it hasn't been that well maintained.

I'll try and block out the thought that some glue is pointing me in the right direction when I take it out on it's maiden voyage....
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Maybe it started out threaded, but someone changed it to ahead at some point in time? Hardly a professional fix though.
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Hmmm .... I wouldn't fancy that ... when you brake hard there must be quite a bit of force on that join ... if it gives way it is going to be messy.
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

It's still a threaded steerer with original headset, the forks are carbon and although a bit cosmetically challenged there's no signs of being crashed. Frame is straight, no creases and all angles are correct. It has to be something to do with this sleeve within the headtube, I can see a shiny edge once I cleaned out all the gunk. Not sure it could of ever caused it to sheer though as there wouldn't be the lateral movement? You're right though, it's going to bug me knowing that it's there and could be a risk - don't really spanking cash on new forks but I will if I have to.
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Looks like it has been repaired / modified and held with two-mix epoxy putty (fake metal). There are not a lot of things that worry me about bits on a bike breaking............apart from the forks :(

It would play on my mind that any minute now my face would be plunging towards the tarmac.

I'd either replace or send to a frame builder for a *propper* repair.

Shaun
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

It looks ghastly, personally I would never ride something like that.
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

This "bargain" is turning out to be less than VFM at this moment, and i'm a bit gutted about the forks - apart from a few bits I was hoping to throw together a bike from all my spares - however, a pair of forks wasn't in the equation or in the parts bin. Epoxy putty doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence - if it was proper welding i'd be a lot more confident. Face and tarmac isn't on the agenda.

Just doesn't make any sense why or how this snapped - the steerer is still the perfect length given it's the original headset. The steerer & BB are stamped with the same number so this isn't a frankenstein job, so whoever managed to do this thinned out the top part of the steerer, installed it inside the remaining part and then glued the damn thing together - a rather foolhardy attempt in my eyes.

I'll take it down the LBS at weekend and see if they can recommend a fix or just bin the forks as I suspect will be the case.

Thanks guys, glad my initial reaction on seeing this was the same as yours - a crock of **** :(
 
Re: Fork Steerer - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......100th opinions pl

Looks to me like the origional steerer has been cut off and then a length of something has been tapered so that it fits inside the old steerer.
Do you have means to accurately measure the outside diameter of the new steerer tube section?
 
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