No, serious, go for it! I even put a method of how to do it a couple of posts up using a USE ringo star as a tensioner.
Personally I do think it is crazy and if a part like the OPs forks have already structurally failed then spending a bunch of money on parts to bodge it seems daft. The forks are 15 years old, probably haven't any travel left in them so rigids are the way to go. Even if they weren't broken I wouldn't reccommend it on a bike that's used off road. Those threads are going to cut into that headset through all the shock that's running up it, and theres never going to be perfect fit as there would with a smooth steerer, even with a conical washer fitted the smallest fault will turn into rocking.
Even with the canal path bike shown it still looks to be an answer looking for a question, ie why do it? probably because he had the parts to hand. Sure his may have travel 5000 trouble free miles but does that mean it's still safe for everyone to do? Similarly do we know that the canal bike is set up the same (ie threaded section of the fork in line with the headset, is the bike used off road in anger etc.)
I worked as a bike mechanic in one of londons busiest shops for many years and had to deal with all manner of bodges that invariably came into us in a much worse and more expensive state that the original bodge cured. Added to which there are always two places where I would never bodge: seat post or cockpit, the results are always too painful to think of.
To sum it up, why look for an expensive bodge when there is a cheap cure?
Personally I do think it is crazy and if a part like the OPs forks have already structurally failed then spending a bunch of money on parts to bodge it seems daft. The forks are 15 years old, probably haven't any travel left in them so rigids are the way to go. Even if they weren't broken I wouldn't reccommend it on a bike that's used off road. Those threads are going to cut into that headset through all the shock that's running up it, and theres never going to be perfect fit as there would with a smooth steerer, even with a conical washer fitted the smallest fault will turn into rocking.
Even with the canal path bike shown it still looks to be an answer looking for a question, ie why do it? probably because he had the parts to hand. Sure his may have travel 5000 trouble free miles but does that mean it's still safe for everyone to do? Similarly do we know that the canal bike is set up the same (ie threaded section of the fork in line with the headset, is the bike used off road in anger etc.)
I worked as a bike mechanic in one of londons busiest shops for many years and had to deal with all manner of bodges that invariably came into us in a much worse and more expensive state that the original bodge cured. Added to which there are always two places where I would never bodge: seat post or cockpit, the results are always too painful to think of.
To sum it up, why look for an expensive bodge when there is a cheap cure?
