I have replaced headsets on a couple old Schwinns by hammering in a Reynolds 531 head tube, all the way through from top to bottom. Cut it off flush with the original Schwinn HT and then mount any old headset you want. Sometimes the inside of the original HT has some flash or gunk that needs to be cleaned up before a 1-1/4" tube can fit through, but some resistance is good, holds the "shim" in place.

Doesn't need to be Reynolds of course; any old 1-1/4" x .035" (0.9 mm) tube will do, such as American 4130 "aircraft" CrMo.

Of course you could just use short shims, say a half-inch or an inch long, in the top and bottom of the HT, but with one of these frames are we really worried about weight? A single tube all the way from top to bottom has some advantages.

Here's one I did a few years back, on a Twinn tandem. I needed the HT to be longer, so I just left extra 1-1/4" tube sticking up beyond the Schwinn HT. Not super smooth looking but it got the job done:


Sorry I don't have a better photo but can you tell the 1-1/4" HT extends about 3/4" above the original HT? Headset is Campy Record.

See that Fugly stem? It's a Cinelli, from the mid-eighties, when no one in Italy knew anything about MTBs. I find it humorous.

-Mark Bulgier, Seattle