noob question re: headset & forks ?

[robadub]

just picked up a '95 cannondale m500 (currently fitted with a dia compe aheadset and some rock shox judy xc's

id like to get some pace rc-35's fitted and a chris king headset but im not very technically minded, ideally id like to do the work myself but am not sure how wise this is for a noob like me ?

for a start im wondering if 1 1/8th is pretty much the standard headset size ? and also if the pace forks and king headset would be compatible with my dale ?

thanks in advance

 

[magicmistertea]

1 1/8th is generally the more "modern" standard size,
yes you can get pace forks to fit.
yes you can get a king headset to fit.
Its not actually very hard to fit the headset, but without the right tools then you are going to have to use a hammer and a piece of wood.... maybe some threaded bar etc etc, so if you cant be arsed doing all that it might be best to take it to your local bike shop.
no problems.

 

[robadub]

1 1/8th is generally the more "modern" standard size,
yes you can get pace forks to fit.
yes you can get a king headset to fit.
Its not actually very hard to fit the headset, but without the right tools then you are going to have to use a hammer and a piece of wood.... maybe some threaded bar etc etc, so if you cant be arsed doing all that it might be best to take it to your local bike shop.
no problems.

ok thanks

is it much of a job to fit the forks and headset ? for a noob like myself i mean

 

[magicmistertea]

well thats what i wa trying to say..... its easy...... but only if you know what you are doing and you have a hammer a large flat screwdriver and a lump of wood !!! .
but if you dont know what you are doing..... i can see it going wrong !! .
basically if you dont want to pay the bike shop then try it yourself....... if you can afford to pay the bike shop its a lot easier.
but if you are going to start building bikes and then start stripping them down again as a hobby............ then yer do it yourself
it would be a good idea to buy a bike maintenance book.
cheers

 

[terryhfs]

If it's your first time I'd buy a heap and practice. Get it wrong and you'll ruin the frame.

 

[tiboltrider]

What area / town / county are you from Robadub? May be you can get one of us to help you with this? I've recently fitted a King headset to a ti frame using the hammer / vise / wood method, but if you haven't done it before you risk knackering up your frame and a £100 headset. You can buy all the tools you need online from somewhere like Chain Reaction Cycles or Wiggle etc but they'll cost you about £100 and you'll still need to be shown how to use them. At least if you get your local bike shop to fit the parts then it'll be their fault if it goes wrong.

 

[robadub]

im from shrewsbury tibolt

sounds like theres alot to go wrong then ? maybe i should get my local shop to do it, just fancied having a go myself but dont really wanna ruin £100s of equipment ! maybe i should practice on a shed first like someone else said

 

[tiboltrider]

im from shrewsbury tibolt

sounds like theres alot to go wrong then ? maybe i should get my local shop to do it, just fancied having a go myself but dont really wanna ruin £100s of equipment ! maybe i should practice on a shed first like someone else said

That's 200 miles from me! Anyone else out there :?: :xmas-big-grin:

 

[Kona Paul]

Get it done at a shop and ask to watch to see how it's done. Then next time you can try on your own.

 

[cherrybomb]

Where abouts in Shrewsbury?

I'm by the prison.

If it was me, I'd nip it into Stan Jones (and take a packet of Hobnobs)

I've done headsets with the hammer/wood method, but I'm not sure I'd want to risk it on someone else's gear. :?