What to look for in buying a fork/headset
 

I am trying to build a road bike for my son on a budget. So I shopped mainly on CL or Ebay or BF sales ad. I am a newbi in building bikes but I am pretty good mechanic,hopefully I can manage to put something decent together for my son. I have now picked up a 07 Jamis Sports frame from CL, my next step would be to get a fork & whatever needed for the front part of the bike. I would need any help and info in chosing the right fork so in will work together with the frame. Do I need to consider size, dimensions, type(probably carbonfiber), or any factors to make sure it will fit? Thanks for any help.

The headset needs to be the right size to fit the frame and fork. The fork needs to have a long enough steerer to accommodate the headset, stem, and spacer stack(variable). Fork material is mostly preference. Fork rake is also a consideration.

In regards to the fork, I saw on e-bay mostly list either 1" or 1-1/8". Does it matter much which one I get as long as I get the right size headset later to match it?

yes it matters. 1" for a 1" head tube and 1-1/8" for a 1-1/8" headtube.

there's also crown height to consider, if you intend to use fatter tyres on it.

No, the fork and headset must be compatible with the frame, either 1" or 1 1/8". The headset must be compatible with the fork, either threaded or non-threaded. Most road bikes built over the last 8 years have been equipped with non-threaded forks and so parts are easier to find. There has also been a transition from 1" steer tubes to 1 1/8th". But if your frame is designed for a 1" steer tube and headset those can still be found.
Generally it will cost more to build a bike from parts than to buy a complete bike. But if you are very careful with compatibility issues you may do well.

Al

An 07 Jamis frame would almost definitely originally have come with a 1 1/8 threadless fork.

Once the above is figured out then you will buy a headset that matches the steerer tube dimension...if what I stated above is correct, you will need a 1 1/8 inch headset. The only thing that I am not really sure of in this case is whether Jamis frames used regular threadless headsets or used hiddenset threadless headsets. This is easy to tell if you post a picture of the inside of the frame's head tube from above/bellow.

If the fork you are going to buy is new and uncut you will most likely not need to worry about a steerer tube that is too short...your concern will be cutting the steerer tube correctly. Park and Spin Doctor both make an inexpensive tool for this that guides your hacksaw or you can rig some other kind of guide to get a straight cut...***read up on this operation before doing it.***

If you buy a fork with a threadless steerer tube my recommendation is also to buy a handful of spacers to go between the stem and the headset as you otherwise won't have the ability to adjust your stem height.

Hope that helps.

-J

On both end of the head tube is a black ring made bu Cane creek, I measure the inside diameter with a calipar and the dimension is 1.2" which does not equal to 1-1/8" & that's confusing me.

Those black rings are bearing cups from a previously installed headset. The good news is that it is not a hiddenset threadless headset. The bad news is that you need to remove those before installing a new headset. This is not hard to do just becareful not to muck up your frame should you not use tools specific for the task.

I am not 100% positive, but I believe cane creek never made threaded headsets. So you probably need a 1 1/8 inch headset.

You can probably buy a new headset for $40 or less from a shop unless you are looking for something fancy. Once you remove the old cups, take them to a bike shop and they should be able to give you the right replacement.

The reason you might be confused may be due to what you are measuring. The 1 1/8 and 1inch measurements would be the measurement of the inner diameter of the part of the headset pressed into the frame and the outer diameter of the steerer tube on the fork.

-j

I am confuse with the dimension is because it is already measured at 1.20 at the I.D. of the black bearing caps, that means if I removed the bearing cap & measure the I.D. of the head tube, that dimension would be even larger.
I reread you last paragraph & now make more sense, the 1" or 1 1/8 " is not the head tube iteslf but the fork & the head set. So I would be safe to order 1 1/8 from anyway & goto my LBS to get the proper headset? Thanks for your help really appreciate.

Improper headset installation can really mess up a frame so, given your level of uncertainty and inexperience, I'd take the frame to a bike shop and have them both supply and install a new headset. They will assure you of the right size and type and will have the proper specialty tools to remove the old one and install the new one. They will also let you know what sze and type of fork matches it.

With the assumption that your head tube is already faced (top and bottom cut parallel), based on the fact that the frame has installed remnants of a previous headset on what is considered a production bike (this frame was sold as a complete bike at some point from my understanding)...I respectfully disagree with the above poster.

You can easily install a headset yourself with out any major concerns. And without the expense of what the shop will charge you. Take a look around the mechanic forum or do a search on line and you can find some very good directions on how to make a home version of a headset press to install your new headset. The tool you make should last you your lifetime and will be very inexpensive to make. There are plenty of available resources on this site and the internet on how to install a headset correctly.

The caveat to the above is...if when you remove the cane creek cups, you find that the top and bottom surfaces of the headtube have paint on them or are mucked up in any way, you should have the frame faced at a reputable bike shop. I am refering to the rim of the headtube...if you are not sure of what I am talking about then do a quick google search for headtube facing. If you see bare metal then I would just install the new headset. Its an easy job, don't let anyone tell you different.

The major plus side in my opinion is that the installation process will educate you for the slightly less involved operation of overhauling the headset which you will do down the road (in a year or so, depending on the conditions you ride in and how well you adjust it after installing).

Good luck with this. If you need any advice on the fly, don't hesitate to give me a call. 401-619-5828.

Cheers,
-J

I have to add my .02 that you should just buy a whole bike and fix it if need be. Finding a fork with the proper rake is not simple. And buying individual components is never the cheapest route, especially considering the deals to be had on CL.

I also respectfully disagree with this post. Removing and installing a headset is quite straight forward IF you have some idea what you are doing. The needed tools can indeed be improvised, IF you know what you are doing.

My take is that the OP does not. He was not sure what size or type the frame needed or what fork type or size would be compatible. My advise to let a bike shop help with this particular part of the assembly still stands.

Thank you so much for all the great concern & suggestions. The frame is a used production frame, so I would think that the headtube should be faced. While on a tight budget, I am building this bike for my son who already had one roadbike I brought from CL, & he already out grown it. So instead of keep buying different size bike, I think its a good time to learn to build one so when he out grow this one, I can just get another size frame & move the parts over to build another bike. I have read info on Park Tool's website, & went on line & watch every video I can find. And thanks to you guys, I have a much better understanding of the terms & construction. I will proceed to try this myself slowly. What is a decent headset that I should get, I mean a specific brand & model that you have good experience with. Another thanks to J for offering your phone number, I really appreciate your kindness.

Both Cane Creek and FSA make decent, moderately priced headsets. Get a cartridge bearing model as they are more durable and easier to adjust than loose bearing headsets. I have FSA Orbit X, Orbit XLII and Pig DH headsets (all 1-1/8" threadless with cartridge bearings) on three different bikes and they've all been very satisfactory.