A few years ago I bought a Colnago Tecnos which came with a 1" carbon fork that has an alloy steerer - probably not the original fork?

I'm currently running it with modern Record and an ahead set. I want to de-carbon it and retro fit a 1" threaded headset.

A friend of mine who really seems to 'know his onions' seems to think this isn't a good idea. Firstly as the steerer is alloy and I guess 'soft' and secondly as he felt it would be hard for a LBS to get the thread on 'straight'.

Any thoughts?

I really don't like this current set up and would love to get a nice quill stem on there.

Cheers,

DannyBoy.:p

Start the de-carboning by switching out the carbon seatpost and shifters. It's easier.

AI bought a Colnago Tecnos which came with a 1" carbon fork that has an alloy steerer...

I want to de-carbon it and retro fit a 1" threaded headset.


Wouldn't "de-carbon"ing your bike involve removing the (carbon) fork thus eliminating the problem of threading its steerer?

I've never seen a threaded alloy steerer... Chrome Colnago forks are on eBay all the time.. I'd replace the current fork with a chrome one....

I'm currently running it with modern Record and an ahead set. I want to de-carbon it and retro fit a 1" threaded headset.

A friend of mine who really seems to 'know his onions' seems to think this isn't a good idea. Firstly as the steerer is alloy and I guess 'soft' and secondly as he felt it would be hard for a LBS to get the thread on 'straight'.

Any thoughts?

I really don't like this current set up and would love to get a nice quill stem on there.

No, an aluminum steerer can not be threaded. Aluminum is generally more fatigue prone and notch sensitive than steel, and aluminum steerer orginally designed to be threadless would probably be reliable if thread grooves were cut into it.

Besides which, even if you did thread it, odds are that a quill stem wouldn't fit it anyway. Since aluminum has roughly 1/3 the stiffness and less than half the strength of steel, aluminum steerers are made with thicker walls than steel steerers. Although the aluminum steerer may have the same 1" outer diameter as a steel steerer, it probably has a smaller inner diameter than the nominal 7/8" inner diameter of a steel steerer, due to greater wall thickness, and therefore a standard quill stem just wouldn't fit.

Wouldn't "de-carbon"ing your bike involve removing the (carbon) fork thus eliminating the problem of threading its steerer?
+1.

GVH Bikes used to have some Colnago forks for sale, don't see em any more, but worth an email.

Yes, I have been seeing a number of Precisa chrome forks on eBay, although I have yet to be successful in bidding. There was one this week from a 57cm that was listed as a BIN from the UK for 100 GBP--a little steep, I thought.

There seem to be more for smaller frames, which has been part of my problem.

Someone has a Carbon Flash with threaded steel steerer on eBay now, see:
http://cgi.ebay.com/COLNAGO-FLASH-FORK-1-threaded-used_W0QQitemZ300131098180QQihZ020QQcategoryZ56196 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Another seller has sold quite a few NOS Precisa (black painted) for $190. These have a steel steerers and could be threaded by a good frame builder, since as far as I'm aware the steerer is the same wall thickness as the threaded models. See :
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Colnago-Precisa-Straight-Blade-Forks_W0QQitemZ280126878262QQihZ018QQcategoryZ5619 6QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
Cheers

I've never seen a threaded alloy steerer... Chrome Colnago forks are on eBay all the time.. I'd replace the current fork with a chrome one....

I agree, crome would be perfect on that frame, with the crome stays and lugs.