Low height headsets - brake caliper fouling issue

[torqueless]

Re:

I'd try a Tange Passage headset

Well I wouldn't.. not with 40mm of frame stack.. :?

Be sure of your frame stack height before choosing a headset. 40mm is not a low stack height. It is about as high as they went. Chances are the frame was designed to take a Campag SR Strada headset, which was never cheap. Failing that:

Available back then and apparently still available:

Stronglight A9 38mm https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/headsets/st ... g-headset/

Tange Levin alloy-about 37mm https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/headsets/ta ... et-silver/

Not sure if this was available back then. Maybe not stylistically appropriate, but cheaper, and in the stack height ball park:

Tange Falcon 38mm https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/headsets/ta ... et-silver/

If your stack height is really 40mm be prepared even with those to have to sort out another spacer so the locknut on the headset can be tightened without it's top lip bottoming out on the top end of the steerer. If you've got oodles of frame stack height, some people say: "Headset stack height doesn't matter- just use a spacer", but in my book a headset spacer is 1 or 2mm, not 5 or 10..

a common problem back in the day.

I don't get it. What day? Not a day before the '80s. In my day no part of the bottom cup extended beyond the bottom of the crown race unless you'd forgotten to put the balls in.

 

[Midlife]

OP said he wanted a short stack height headset, passage is a tad over 30mm. IIRC.....

 

[torqueless]

Re:

the head tube is 130 and from memory, the steerer is 170.

 

[Midlife]

Ah!

 

[Midlife]

Never knew they still made the A9, the MKS Sylvan of the headset world lol. I like Tange headsets, good bang per buck . The Falcon has changed shape over the years, just like the Ford Fiesta.

 

[torqueless]

Re:

Yeah the Levin went all 'aerodynamic' at some point too. Best to check you are getting what's described/pictured with Tange..

 

[Simon Masterson]

As it’s so cheap, I’ve bought a Passage, either to use now or later when I get it resprayed. I’ll get the steerer shortened. For now, I think I’ll look into a spacer.

 

[torqueless]

Re:

OK, but remember, Confucius say: "Man who gets steerer cut has Campag Strada fall from sky and land at his feet (on a soft surface) the next day."

 

[mattr]

Just use a spacer (or two) with a flat on the top.
I've done this on more than one bike over the years.

Just make sure you take away the bare minimum!

 

[Simon Masterson]

Re: Re:

OK, but remember, Confucius say: "Man who gets steerer cut has Campag Strada fall from sky and land at his feet (on a soft surface) the next day."

Haha, I see there's an NOS one on eBay for £300. This was supposed to be a low cost build.