Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club

There's something going on with the steerer on the Beast. If you hold the front brake on and push forwards and backwards the forks pivot on the bottom bearing set. While old the bike, it has a shimano 600 head set.

It looks like to me that either the steerer is broken but still held by the stem, or it is loose where it attaches to the forks. It doesn't look like its the head set as then it would move forward and backwards without pivoting

Nice floorboards Mike. Nice - original timber look. When's the skirting boards going up?

Old photo

Well, Mike...

You've got a 6mm allen key, and headset wrenches.

Undo the top of the headset and have a look.

I think it's much more likely you've split part of the headset than the steerer breaking.

Cinceli stems - now that's quality

I'm gunna pull it apart this arvo and make a decision as to whether the beast should go to bicycle heaven

I'm gunna pull it apart this arvo and make a decision as to whether the beast should go to bicycle heaven

Toff's house?

The beast is unique at anyone's place

OK, the problem is that the steerer has separated from the forks. Just to make things more exciting the stem is stuck inside the steerer.

So, I need a new set of forks and that's after I've managed to get the steerer off the stem

The beast is dead .

That's awesome. If you had gone over a big bump, the front of your bike would have detached!

Not worth spending the money to get a new fork. A new fork would probably then be worth more than the whole beast.

What about the nunnery

You can try the Nunnery. I would also go over to the Bower in Marrickville. Out the back they have some old frames. You can probably buy a whole bike for a fiver. That's where Lindsay got his Jim Lemon from. It's also what he paid!

Might check the Bower this arvo

Can the existing steerer be brazed/welded on? If so who's got the equipment?

Is it worth a re-weld? Will it be as strong as the original? No fun if it fractures again.

Don't know, but I agree its not worth taking a risk.

Nothing at the bower, unless I wanted to buy a complete bike for $300

Nunnery has moved to Waterloo and is now called Cycle ReCycle. See they are open at 5pm today, I might drop by as I can't do it on Mondays.

Otherwise I'll put the beast in the shed and forget about it

Scored some forks from Cycle Recyle



Now all I need to is to get the steerer off the stem...

Just clamp the steerer in a vice, and you should be able to get the stem out as usual.

I ask Peter if I can use his vice.

The ball bearing cup at the bottom of the new forks is as per a standard set of ball bearings, but the bike has Shimano 600 sealed bearings, kinda looks like a fat rubber washer. So how do I get it off the forks and put the one on for Shimano 600? Do I need a press?

You can get the old one off with a hammer and chisel, unless you have the special tool. You can put the new one on with a punch and hammer, again unless you have the tool.

You can get the old one off with a hammer and chisel, unless you have the special tool.

Are you talking about a crown race setter? That has to be my favourite tool. Mmmmm big crazy tool for doing such a simple job. Does anyone actually own one though?

Are you talking about a crown race setter? That has to be my favourite tool. Mmmmm big crazy tool for doing such a simple job. Does anyone actually own one though?

Anyone who has a 20cm of pipe with a nice flat end, as well as a big mallet has all the tools they need to install a headset. To get one off, I find a few gentle taps with something like a hammer and a "6-inch" nail gradually going from each side of the headset race will slowly work it up the steere until it pops loose. To protect the headset race, I have the head of the nail strike the race, not the pointy end.

You need to take more care with putting the cups into the head tube. For this you need to use (or make) a suitable headset press.

Got it off, but didn't manage to get the other one on.

Guess I'll take it up the hardware shop and buy a piece of pipe

if you need to borrow a head set press, I have one I can loan you

Hi Geoff, would that help me get the cup on the forks?

I worked out why its hard to get on, it doesn't have a taper like the one I took off

sure but it's best to bring it in to the shop when i'm there. The crown might need reeming and all the tools are there. Will only take a few minutes to do with the right tools.
I'm always there tuesday, thurdays and friday afternoon for the beer tasting

Did you say "beer"

Looks like I'll be working at a location with no bike parking from October, so it will be good to have a bike that can be parked on the street with confidence it will be there when you return

we have beer tasting on fridays from 5 usually.

I'm at home this arvo, today is good

we're tidying up the shop today. so next week is better

OK, if I'm not working