how many headsets do you use in a standard two-stack tallbike? i ask because i used one (half on the bottom, at the crown race, half at the top, on top of the upper bike's headtube), and sometimes it is jiggly, it makes noise and eats bearings. so all you tallbikers out there, what is yer headset setup?

http://myspace-881.vo.llnwd.net/00801/18/83/801093881_l.jpg

Looks scary. You look scared. Weak materials?

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/Kemmer/P1010048.jpg
I use one as well, like you describe. One on top, one on bottom. I've only done about 20 or 30 miles on mine so far, but the bearings seem to be holding up ok. In the picture you can see that I added a vertical support between the two frames, so mine isn't really all that jiggly. The steer tube does flex because it's so long and I'm sure I'll be replacing bearings more than once a year, but I'm fine with that.

Looks scary. You look scared. Weak materials?

knudsen, this is not a productive post. i was asking about the specific headset setups that other tallbikers have, not for a critique. seeing as i posted nothing about my materials or construction technique, you have no idea whether or not i used weak materials. (in fact, the materials i used to build this bike were quite strong- the tubing i used for the fork is a good deal thicker than your standard bike tube, and all the welds involved are solid.) i was simply asking about a mechanical nuance that has nothing to do with weak materials or faulty construction. stop being so quick to naysay and shut up if you have nothing to say that is on topic.

o, yeah, and kemmer, i have since added a crossbrace which keeps my head tubes in line and makes the whole ride much more rigid.

You really only need a "virtual" headtube of a top and bottom cone. That is, for steering purposes. The steer tube normally does two jobs, it steers and supports. So if you're feeling like you need more support, just weld a bar behind the steer tube. You can, in theory, skip the bearings on the top of the bottom and the bottom of the top. Heck, if you have more than 2 frames you can skip them entirely:

http://www.chicagofreakbike.org/pornosquad/largemarge.jpg
http://www.chicagofreakbike.org/pornosquad/largemarge2.jpg

Some people make a stronger frame by making a single, long head tube.

I should say that wear may be coming from off-true alignment. If the steer tube isn't perfectly straight it will feel fine in the forward position but resist when turning. Usually you can blow this off because these things were created to be destroyed. When building you can stick a pipe through both headtubes to guarantee alignment, or, tack the three welds and check for a smooth 360 turn before finishing the welds.

Or skip the problem entirely by making a tallchopper.

wow sir, that is a beautiful monstrosity.

that bike is rediculous. is it even ridable?

that bike is rediculous. is it even ridable?

Buddy, if you think you can build an unrideable bike, I'd like to see it.

the guy who made this one has done a century on it.

kemmer's bike looks a lot like one we have at our little club here in sunny australia: ramondo the falcon.
it rides smooth as silk and is the mount of our current joust champion.

that scrapheap tallbike is awesome. the seat's really far back over the rear wheel - looks like a downhiller.

here's another option: we call it Nature's Gentleman

A whimsical dandy of a machine. Born in an instant from the nexus of two failures. Nature's Gentleman can sense your emotions. Fear will be amplified into oscillating wobbles of doom. General well-being translates into an aristocratic forward motion.
" Ah! "you say, "room for a six-pack in the chip frier welded on the back!"
Seems obvious, but this beauty is so finely balanced between perfection and disaster that anything weightier than a packet of Winney 25s will send it bucking into the gutter.
Pure Class.