I discovered a corollary to the "Measure twice, cut once" theorem yesterday. I'm happily installing a headset on this Univega frame. Tap on the crown race, press in the lower cup. As I'm pressing in the upper race I think to myself, "Dang, I didn't measure the stack height of the frame. No problem, it will probably be fine" Sure enough, a monstrous amount of steerer tube was exposed once I snugged up the threaded race. I added every headset spacer I could find in the drawer (three), and still the top nut bottomed out. Dang. That's the corollary: "To measure twice, you have to have measured at least once."

So, I removed the pressed in/on parts and measured the stack height of the frame. It's a whopping 42mm! My Sutherland's 3rd edition lists one or two Nishiki (???) headsets with a large enough stack height. The mixed madness Campy headset I tried to use (Record parts but with SR crown race and top nut) was probably only around 35mm. I do have an actual Record/NR headset. Given the headset dimensions in Sutherland's, it seems I'm still going to need two, perhaps three spacers to make it work. (Maybe I could tart it up with a thicker SR spacer?) As I understand it, the Univega Super Speciale was outfitted with Campy NR/SR components, but I've not seen an actual bike or a spec sheet. Might some other Japanese headset have been installed from the factory? The common Tange Levin CDS headset only has a stack height of 33.3mm.

do you have a cutting guide and a hacksaw, or don't want to remove any metal on general principals? My Sutherlands show many Camp HS with a stack ht. close to 42mm: Super Record Road 42.2, Chorus, Croce DeAune 41.2, C-Record Road and C-Record 1990 with seal 41.4, Athena just over 41, I think a bunch of the Mavic HS are 42 or even a tad over....all of these may be too modern for your taste but, check out a later edition Sutherlands

You need some of this.

Stronglight A9 is just shy of 41mm. Super Record is 42mm. Stronglight B10 43mm.

From Barnett's:

Wheels manufacturing makes nice headset spacers that work well with threaded headsets. They come in all kinds of thickness up to 20 or 30 mms. I like to use them with extra steerer length when the handlebars need to be up near the height of the saddle. They sell these through Quality Bicycle Parts a distributor that many bike stores order from.

Mavic 315 is 42mm.

Cutting the steerer would only be as a last resort, and I would take it to someone with the skills to do it right. (That ain't me.)

I obviously should be looking at a table newer than that in Sutherland's 3rd ed (like JohnDThompson's table). Mine only shows Campagnolo Record Strada (39.1) and Record Pista (33.7). This must predate the arrival of Super Record. As for those C-Record era Campy headsets, maybe it's just me, but I've always found them unattractive. I had one on my Redcay and was glad to replace it with an early Chris King.



I'll see how close I can get with the NR headset I have. Maybe the Wheels Mfg option Doug Fattic mentioned or the rather blingy example merziac showed will be necessary. More tomorrow.

I appreciate the responses. The intent of my post was mostly to demonstrate why I'm not a hot sh*t bike mechanic. I often forget the most basic stuff. Fortunately for the world of cyclists out there I basically only ever work on my own bikes.

You couldn't go wrong with a Stronglight A-9, as JDT says that's a mere 1mm short of your stack height target so one slightly thicker washer and "Bob's yer Uncle"

Thanks. I think I might have a Galli-branded version of that in the bin. Should have some conclusion to this minor drama tomorrow.

For me, cutting would not be an option, period. Well, if the fork was not original to the frame and there was no reasonable different headset or spacer option, I might have it done. (No way I'm cutting a for myself.) But if the fork is original to the frame, the only options I'm considering are a different headset or fitting spacers.

Of course, as usual, my opinion is worth exactly what you are paying for it.

Check for some C-record era Campagnolo. Velobase shows ~41.5mm. I also love the look but I have a bias for that era. I'm also running an Ofmega Master on my Trek right now, similar looks, listed as 43mm if you Google it (and I think it's about that, I can measure if you like)
VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo Athena
VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo 304/104, C-Record
VeloBase.com - Component: Ofmega Master

I believe the odd stack height is due to the frame builder, Miyata, using one of their stock fork/steering tube lengths. The OP's bicycle is a 1981 model and at that time the Team Miyata (which is the equivalent frame) was being designed for Dura-Ace EX, while Lawee spec'd Campagnolo for their Super Speciale. There's not a bid difference in the stack heights but as of 1980 Dura-EX used the Dyna-Drive crankset which lowered the shoe to pedal interface by approximately 15mm. Miyata offered a 61cm Dyna-Drive frame as the closest frame size to Univega's 60cm. However, that still leaves a difference of about 5mm and I'm wondering if Miyata found it easier to install thicker headset spacers than manufacture and stock two different fork sizes for standard versus Dyna-Drive frames?

Reminded me of an old Shimano 600 I have on the trainer bike: VeloBase.com - Component: Shimano HP-6207, 600EX Stack height listed as 40mm

Okay, got it working. I discovered one other problem with the mix-n-match headset I was trying to use yesterday. Instead of mostly NR and one or two SR bits, it was mostly SR and just one NR bit, the lower cup. That reduced the stack height of the headset enough to keep it from working. When I found the proper SR cup, things worked with the three spacers I was using yesterday. (I don't have a real SR spacer. It will probably not be enough, but should only require one extra spacer.) Though this isn't likely to be the last iteration, it will at least allow me to finish putting the bike together so I can explore stem/handlebar combinations. Thanks again for the inputs.

Just like the Stronglight A9, the IRD double roller bearing headset comes pretty close with its 40.7mm stack height and will dampen a lot of shimmy from the bike.