Cannondale 1 1/4" headset-mavic 317 compatability?

[iwatajim]

Hi there people,
I have a 1993 cannondale m700 3.0 series frame with pepperoni fork in need of a new headset and have been offered the mavic 317 over on wanted forum but don't know about compatability.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers, Jim.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

The only question mark is whether the stack height is in the right ballpark.

There's a table of headset stack heights in this pdf:

http://poehali.net/content/b00007/11_Headsets.pdf

The Mavic 317 is pretty typical at 38mm. To be certain, you need to measure your steerer and head tube, or take out the old headset and measure its stack height.

If the steerer's too short by more than a couple of mm, it's too short. If it's too long, you'll need to trim it to length. You can't use a spacer with the 317 because of its one-piece upper cup and locknut.

 

[iwatajim]

Thanks for the info and the link. Will check out the stack height.

Is there a headset I could buy new which uses spacers? Would a tandem one be suitable?

Cheers, Jim.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Is there a headset I could buy new which uses spacers? Would a tandem one be suitable?

Most headsets will allow the use of spacers, within reason. The MAVIC is one of the rare exceptions, along with the King GripNut. Just about any other threaded headset, with a conventional separate top cup and locknut will allow you to add a spacer if necessary.

As far as buying new goes, the 1 1/4" standard is well and truly obsolete. Anything you find will be second hand, or - at best - New Old Stock (NOS). Plenty change hands on eBay though, or via the classifieds here. The first step is to figure out the stack height you need, and work from there. Have a read of the pdf I linked to if you're unclear about any of the jargon, or what the different dimensions mean.

There's no reason a tandem headset would be unsuitable, assuming it's the correct size and stack height. Many tandems use 1 1/8" headsets though.

 

[iwatajim]

Thanks again for taking the time to explain and supplying the link. I really do appreciate it. Will check out the stack height in the morning and take it from there.

Cheers, Jim.

 

[FluffyChicken]

EDIT...

Mavic headsets are 38 to 44 stack height due to the design.

 

[iwatajim]

Hey FluffyChicken, many thanks for the info.
Cheers, Jim.