patgoral

I have a 56cm Surly Long Haul trucker and I measured twice and cut once, but unfortunately forgot to account for the spacer with the cantilever brake mount. I would like about 2 1/2 inches extra steerer tube available. I can't get the same fork, because it isn't available alone in the Olive color. My options now are to use a steerer tube extender like this https://www.bbbparts.com/headparts_extender-bhp20.php OR getting it welded or brazed to be longer. What would be the best long term option for strength, stability, as well as aesthetics.

I posted this previously in the Touring section and someone said: " I don't off hand know what the inside diameter of your steerer tube is, but it should be possible to insert a 1 inch diameter piece of tubing into the 1-1/8 steerer tube and braze, not weld, it in place. Any competent welder can braze as well. Steerer tubes are pretty thick, so you might have to drill out the existing tube to enable the 1 inch tube to slip inside. I wouldn't run the tube down the full length of the original steerer, just 2 inches or so. That way, you're not heating the tube up really close to the fork crown and potentially compromising that joint.
"

Let me know what you think!

patgoral

I also was wondering if it is easier to just press a new steerer tube somehow? here is a pic of the fork https://www.ebikestop.com/prodimages/FK0901.jpg

NoReg

If it was up to me I would just use the Black fork, though it seems to have gone up about 50% at the shop I use. I saw green forks last year, so it might be worth trying to scour every shop out there.

I'm not sure how you get 2.5 additional inches for the canti bracket. If it is really only the canti bracket I would consider seeing if you could find an alternative brake or hanger that would not use the spaces as a mounting point.

1" tubing should be a good fit inside the 1.125" tube. I have a few tubes lying around and the 1" inserted inside a firk about 4-5". That is enough material just to epoxy it in. It might be a little less given you already trimed your tube. Because of the butt, the tube jams in as far as the butt, and the entry point is a little loose. So you would need to shim it. A simple method is to build up a little epoxy and then turn or file it down when it hardens, so that it is a tight fit. Then when you go to glue it in you cover the whole tube with enough epoxy to provide a perfect fit. Similar process if your want to braze it.

Epoxy is not a traditiona fix, but keep in mind that carbon stearing tubes are held on with a lot less epoxy than what is described here. Your still on your own because I certainly haven't tried it. Just be sure to use a serious epoxy, and lots of overlap, clean everything well. Around my shop that would be WEST or a golfclub shafting epoxy.

Six jours

Yeah, I'm kind of confused too. The typical cantilever hanger is what, 2 mm thick? So I don't know how you get from that to accidently cutting off 2.5" too much. Oh well.

At any rate, the easiest option is the extender.

Next easiest is buying a replacement fork and having it powder coated.

Third is brazing in an extension. Drilling out the steerer is a very bad idea. The insert needs to be turned to fit. Have the person doing the brazing use silver instead of brass, as the cooler temperatures necessary for silver are less likely to compromise the existing joinery and paint. Many/most welders do not know how to braze thinwall tubing and might make a mess out of it. You really ought to find a framebuilder for the task.

You might also look into using a stem with a built-in cantilever hanger.

unterhausen

and, unless you find a framebuilder that is desperate for work, it will be cheaper to get a new fork. Use the extender. Has a very strong resemblance to a quill stem to me.

patgoral

I cut off a total of 2 1/2" from the original steerer tube. I just wanted maybe another spacer added on. It came with 4 spacers but I didn't account for the cantilever spacer. I just want a little more height. I work at a bike shop, so I have been in contact with Surly and they should have a new fork by the end of the month for me, so for now I will just add the steerer extension and then get the new fork soon.

GV27

This is precisely why I don't think that threadless is an advance for most cyclists.

unterhausen

you could cut too much off of a threaded fork, I've gotten awfully close myself. I guess the fact that frames now come with long forks is a different matter.

GV27

Well, yeah - I guess you could cut it too short for the headset stack height. But that's not the problem here. He's got room to put that cantilever hanger in there, just not to get the bars up enough (I think - it is kinda confusing). In this case if he had a threaded headset he could just loosen up the step and raise it. All the way up already? Get a taller stem. With threadless all you can do is put on a stem with a higher angle - and those only come so high. Otherwise you have to get into all sorts of shenanigans to get it higher or replace the whole fork.

NoReg

I lknow it is all too horrible to contemplate, but what I did on my touring bike was leave a goodly chunck of tube poking out the top with extra spacers on it. Just because one can have problems with a touring bike, like deciding some extra gizmos need mounting, or after a long ride, all of a sudden one may want to change the bars height. So I prefer not to ever cut off too tight, and I never found the extra material was too much trouble.

GV27

And why my new touring bike will not have such a contraption.

Six jours

I note that a lot of the old French randonneuring bikes use a threaded headset with a threadless style stem clamped to an adapter. This actually makes sense to me, as it means you get the "set it and forget it" headset with the easy adjustability of the quill style stem, plus the open front stem style, should you want it.

unterhausen

I've been messing with my stem too much recently, and the open front stem style looks attractive to me. Too bad the available stem lugs don't have that.