A question about 1.1/4" sized steerers and headtubes

[Maxipedia]

Hello people on RetroBike!

This question has been bothering me since a while and I can't think about any better environment to get it sorted than here:

What bikes came with the 1.1/4" steerer and headtube size?

As far as I know, and maybe I am wrong, these were typical to some boutique brands of the early to mid nineties. Is this assumption correct, or were there also modest bikes with this sizing?

Thank you very much for your attention!
Mx

 

[jonnyboy666]

muddy fox
alpinestars
garyfisher
yeti
proflex
orange


bound to be loads more though

 

[Maxipedia]

Thank you, I begin to open my eyes on this thing! But were these sizes limited to the upper end bikes or it didn't matter?

 

[GT-Steve]

back in 1990 an Alpinestars CroMega LX would set you back £440, and it came with a 1-1/4" headset.

It was definitely not the reserve of high-end bikes..

I think some Cannondales came with Evolution size as well.

As did Bigfoot's Smokestone, and I think Funk.

 

[jonnyboy666]

it was the early days of aluminium being used in mass production and to get the strength in the tubes they went really oversized which meant having the bigger headtube so it was mostly used with aluminium frames which at the time were mid to top end frames. once the manufacturers learned how to use aluminium better they returned to mostly 1 1/8

that's not to say some steel frames didn't use 1 1/4, my cro mega for example is 1 1/4.

 

[Maxipedia]

Thank you for your replies! How about forks in that size? What were the options? Somebody just opened another thread about an Indy C in that size and it sounds a bit unreal as Indys are 1997 season forks and I thought that by then the 1.1/4" sizing was fading away. I didn't expect a low end fork like that being offered in that size. Were there any Quadras or Zokes' or other entry level forks in 1.1/4"?

Cheers,
Mx

 

[Chris]

I'm pretty sure 1 1/4" were available for judys and Indys as I remember my lbs having them in.

Chris.

 

[ajm]

The aluminium e-stay Saracens used 1 1/4 headsets too.

 

[yo-Nate-y]

Mountain Cycle San Andreas

 

[minor_LEGEND]

My Ozone bigfoot has an 1 1/4" (or evolution) sized headtube & steerer.

Cannondales used that size too, though in their early days of having 1 1/4" steerers, the lower end frames had 1" dia.

I would say that it is/was reserved for higher end stuff, you'd never have found it on entry level bikes costing £100. As for later forks having the 1 1/4" steerers, upgrade sus forks were very popular & so catered for older sizes.