himespau 

In my never ending search for an inexpensive lugged steel vintage frameset to hang a modern campagnolo group on, I think I've run across a decent frame. The thing is, it doesn't come with a fork. Bad sign I know, but the guy says that's how he got it and that it's straight and doesn't have any signs of damage (no wrinkles near the head tube, dents, etc.). Because it's an online thing, I have to trust the guy or not up to me. Before I went any further I wanted to make sure that I could find a fork to go with it if I decided to get it. The thing is, it has a 20 cm head tube, so reallistically, I'd need a fork with at least a 240 mm steerer, right? Pretty much all the replacement forks I've seen on ebay and many other places have a 27.0 crown race, and given that this is a nicer frame (SLX), I'm 90% sure I'd want a 26.4. It looks like Soma sells chromed replacement forks that might work, but as far as I can tell 230 mm is as long as they sell. Does anyone know of a source for forks (preferably lugged and chromed) with a 26.4 fork crown race diameter and at least a 240-250 mm steerer? At this point, I'm just trying to see if it'd be viable without spending more than the frame would cost to buy a fork to go with it. Still not sure I'd go that way, just wondering if I should keep considering it. Thanks.

Michael Angelo 

How about a Stainless cutom made fork?

DiegoFrogs

Have you considered a threadless fork? Do you think you have a local LBS or mechanic you'd trust to cut threads in a steerer?

himespau 

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of threadless forks. That's an idea that might work. I'm new to the area and haven't found an LBS yet, but that might be an option. Looking again at the frame, it's a bit more banged up than I'd remembered, so I'm not sure I'll go that way, but that is an option I hadn't considered. Stainless (or even one of those old SR aluminum ones, though I'm not sure I'd want that harsh a ride) would probably work. Just am not the best painter (another project is stalled in the me painting it stage) and don't want to have to add the cost of having something painted into the budget, so shiny is nice.

I had just planned on trying the whole Shimergo thing on the old mtb that I'd put drop bars (and Kelly Take-off's) on and turned into a sort of bomb proof commuter. Then I decided to paint it and got stalled as I mentioned above because I'm a perfectionist and my painting skills aren't up to par. Then I said to myself, well that frame is really too small for me anyway, and found that thread where people put modern shifting systems on older lugged frames and thought, "that looks like fun" and since I had the front half of a campy group anyway, I pieced together the rest. Then I went looking for the right frame and ended up here trying to figure out if a frame without a fork and buying the fork separately was reasonable financially or if it'd end up being cheaper to buy a nicer/better condition frame/fork set.

jmp72

Hi!
don't know if it's good quality... I was planning to buy one... 260mm long in 26.4!

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/120730448498?...9#ht_690wt_689

-Benoit

nlerner

Electra sells a 1" threaded chrome fork with a very long steerer and lots of rake. Crown race might be 27.0, but you can probably find a shop to take it down to 26.4.

himespau 

Hmmm, getting the race milled down wasn't something that had occurred to me as an option either. Buying a 27.0 fork and getting it milled down looks like it might be the cheapest approach as those forks seem to be more plentiful and cheaper. I wonder why there are so many more of those forks. I always thought those were just on the lowest end of bikes. Did they just last longer? Get abused more and thus fail more often? So many more bikes made with them during the boom that those bikes are still the most common?

unworthy1

27.0 is the JIS standard, 26.4 is the ISO standard...seems like the Asian makers kept to the larger standard, maybe the logic being you can always mill it down easier that adding steel to make it bigger.
Another option (and one I have used) is to buy the fork you really like regardless of the steerer and pay a good frame guy to splice on a steerer to the length you want, threaded or threadless. Around here, that "repair" is easier to find, and cheaper, than finding a guy who will cut threads, even just extending them on an already-threaded steerer, let alone cutting new threads on a smooth steerer (something I bet NObody will touch!)
If you were in the Bay Area, I'd send you to Bernie Mikkelsen, who has done the "steerer splice" many times and with great results...the only time it won't work is with a super short fork steerer, since you have to insert an internal sleeve and that could scotch the stem expander from working. Not a problem in your case.

fietsbob

+1, just Hire one Made, then get it plated.. builder should know where they can go to supply the finished product .

RobbieTunes

Look for a Tange Prestige fork. They come new, threaded, and chrome. However, the decals will clash with your SLX decals.

If you're going to go to the expense of having one made and plated, buy a used one, send it off to get it polished and plated. Some of the chroming places that cater to motorcycles, etc can do that.

Me, I'd get a used one, get it painted to match the frame. Buy new SLX decals, 9.99 for a set of 3.

himespau 

Eh, at the end of the day, I think I've decided that, like everything else, it's cheaper and better to buy complete than buy in parts. Buying a frame and fork separately (especially if you have to do mods) ends up looking like it'd cost more than a nicer frameset. So, the search continues. Part of me says I should just settle for what's easily available, but I think I'll keep looking for just the right one. At least until I get completely frustrated with the wait. Thanks for all the advice. I learn a lot with each new thing I think of and come here to work through.

Michael Angelo 

How about something like this? Fork Height 361 (axle to Crown) 1" 300mm Steer tube, Richard Sachs Crown, Columbus Tubing. 26.4 crown



The one on the left.



700c x23 tire max

himespau 

So people won't put thread onto a threadless steerer? Why not? Too hard to do well?

himespau 

Those Richard Sachs lugged crowns sure are pretty.