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Post by triitout on Oct 20, 2019 20:12:52 GMT
I've been using my Pro only for short easy rides but yesterday I started to imagine the fun of long fast rides on such a beautiful bike. What's holding me back? The aluminum fork of course. My mind is going back and forth about keeping it original vs making it a rider. I've even spotted the fork of choice on eBay. It's a nice uncrown designed cromoly fork that mimics the aluminum fork. I'm torn. What says the forum???  DSCN1055 www.ebay.com/itm/Action-Bicycle-FK0024-Threaded-Cr-Mo-Steel-Fork/293238564134 |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on Oct 21, 2019 5:51:23 GMT
Go for it; you must feel confident in the bike. You can easily switch it back if needed.
Cheers
Jim
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Post by velocipete on Oct 21, 2019 6:23:55 GMT
As Jim says,you can always switch back.
Do it,plus photos please.
Cheers,
Pete.
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558 
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Post by robt on Oct 21, 2019 8:01:45 GMT
If the condition of your tyres or brake pads was undermining your confidence in your bike, wouldn’t you swap them for something newer and more reliable?
I would treat my forks, however original, the same way.
Your bike will still look beautiful to 99.99% of the people who see it. Just don’t let yourself be the 0.01%!
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Post by sprockit on Oct 21, 2019 18:39:06 GMT
As long as the new fork doesn't significantly change the geometry of the bike, I'd opt for fitting it and enjoying the ride, rather than doubting the integrity of the original fork. It'll be a weight off your mind, and if you keep the original one, you can always swap it back to 'original' at a later date.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,380
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Post by Jem on Oct 21, 2019 18:44:04 GMT
I'm with the others on this...confidence and ride are foremost, originality next, then looks.
If the fork looks good , then bonus.
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Post by triitout on Oct 22, 2019 1:35:53 GMT
It's unanimous! The wise men have spoken. I really appreciate everyone's input. Sometimes you get caught up in the wrong priorities but as Robert says, I really don't want to be that 0.01% guy. The reality is I'll never sell these bikes anyway so it will be someone else's decision whether to keep the steel fork or go back to the original when I'm gone. There's a very good chance a new 14-28 6 speed freewheel will go on and replace the original 14-24 5 speed and make my legs happier too. I'll post up when rolling. Time to go on ebay and place the order.
Thanks all,
Michael
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Post by wheelson on Oct 22, 2019 3:36:49 GMT
Yes, by all means swap out the fork. My first Viscount already had a steel fork, the one I'm currently building up will as well. I toyed with the idea of finding an original aluminum fork but cervical disc surgery in May convinced me that when I do get back on a bike for serious riding I'd like to not end up under the knife again! Like you, I found a steel lookalike which I'm even painting a flat aluminum so hopefully it will be in the spirit of the bike.
Beautiful bike you have there. That's the same color combination as my Viscount #2. I will go slightly to the wild side and build mine up with some Birmalux tubular rims. My first bout with sewups, wish me luck!
Best, John "wheelson" Wilson |
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Post by triitout on Oct 29, 2019 13:02:25 GMT
Here's the new fork side by side with an original. It's got a 27.0 race so it'll get a new Tange Levin headset as well. This is a LBS job. The forks are available on EBay for anyone looking to do the switch. Action is the brand.  IMG_0058 (1) |
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Post by 54roadie on Oct 29, 2019 20:32:25 GMT
That's a great looking fork, from the photo. I love those Cinelli / Brompton / Raleigh Pro style crowns. Are these NOS, or do they have the lawyer tabs? (I can't tell from the photo.)
Thanks for sharing,
Frank
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Post by triitout on Oct 29, 2019 23:33:29 GMT
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 1, 2019 15:30:52 GMT
That is a nice looking fork, and something I might want for the Viscount GP I am refurbishing, but I have a few questions. The eBay listing gives a size of 250x120mm. I'm not sure what the 250 refers to but the 120mm seems like the distance between fork ends. My questions are:
1. Is the fork width 120mm? If so, it will not work as a replacement for the 100mm-ish death fork on my bike. I have a first gen Pro with an ugly aluminum replacement fork also with 100mm spacing.
2. Is the wheel size specified anywhere in the fork description? My bikes, and yours probably, has 700c wheels.
3. What does the 250mm refer to, maybe steering tube length?
4. How long is the steering tube and how much of it is threaded? I want to see if there is enough thread left after cutting length.
Thanks for any info and good luck with your replacement.
Brian
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Post by whippet on Nov 1, 2019 21:02:46 GMT
Odd that the eBay seller gives a weight of 10 lbs. Surely 2 lbs would be closer to the mark?
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Post by triitout on Nov 1, 2019 23:06:11 GMT
Odd that the eBay seller gives a weight of 10 lbs. Surely 2 lbs would be closer to the mark? Maybe they were trying to jack up the "Free Shipping" price  . I think it refers to the shipping weight as if I care when it's free or more likely not really free, just reflected in the price. |
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Post by triitout on Nov 1, 2019 23:27:38 GMT
That is a nice looking fork, and something I might want for the Viscount GP I am refurbishing, but I have a few questions. The eBay listing gives a size of 250x120mm. I'm not sure what the 250 refers to but the 120mm seems like the distance between fork ends. My questions are:
1. Is the fork width 120mm? If so, it will not work as a replacement for the 100mm-ish death fork on my bike. I have a first gen Pro with an ugly aluminum replacement fork also with 100mm spacing.
2. Is the wheel size specified anywhere in the fork description? My bikes, and yours probably, has 700c wheels.
3. What does the 250mm refer to, maybe steering tube length?
4. How long is the steering tube and how much of it is threaded? I want to see if there is enough thread left after cutting length.
Thanks for any info and good luck with your replacement.
Brian
Hi Brian,
I've picked up the bike and the fork looks great!
1. The fork width is the standard 100mm and it will fit your standard front wheel with quick release.
2. The listing has it specified for 27" but it's just like the original death fork which in the Pro version could be had with 27" clinchers or 700c tubulars. What matters is the brakes. The original "V" brakes, which I saw from your album you have and were on most but not all models had enough brake shoe adjustment to work with either wheel. You should be fine with 700s.
3. 250mm is the total steering tube lenght and the 120mm is the part that is threaded so it can serve as a replacement fork for most sizes. It for sure works for the 22 1/2" frame and up. Might not have the threading start low enough for a 21 1/2" frame or smaller. Check your old fork that the thread starts over the 130mm mark and then you should be ok.
4. The "race" on the fork is 27.0, so make sure your headset works with it. My Pro's aluminum fork was 26.2 race so I also replaced the headset with a Tange-Levin threaded 1" , 27.0 race headset.
Good luck on the GP!
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 2, 2019 2:48:35 GMT
Thanks for the detailed response - exactly what I needed to know. I will go ahead and order the fork. The Tange Levin head sets ARE nice. They have a good metal dust seal on the top and bottom bearings. I have used them a few times. I might check my Japanese parts bikes since 27mm is Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). On the other hand, if I cut the fork to exactly fit the Tange Levin height then I will know where to get a replacement if needed.
I put in a lot of miles on hard packed crushed stone and found that the caged balls in the Tange Levin lower bearing became "indexed" after only about 1200 miles, so I pulled the balls out of the cages and added four or 5 additional balls per bearing and some Park bike grease. This seems to have fixed the indexing and we'll see if I get better service life.
Thanks again.
Brian
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Post by triitout on Nov 3, 2019 23:57:41 GMT
As Jim says,you can always switch back. Do it,plus photos please. Cheers, Pete. Att: Pete Photos as requested. Maiden voyage on a gusty NYC Marathon sunday. The best thing is the photos of the before and after don't look much different. I also put on a new budget 700c wheel set with gumwall Pacela PT's along with a new 14-28 freewheel and chain. The overall weight dropped by about 2 lbs and the bike has a sportier, racy feel to it. Thanks everyone for the good advise! Cheers, Michael  IMG_0061  IMG_0077  IMG_0084 |
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Post by whippet on Nov 4, 2019 20:51:39 GMT
Looks excellent Michael.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,380
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Post by Jem on Nov 5, 2019 20:29:04 GMT
I guess this is one of those upgrades when you don't want it looking significantly different before and after- so this is a very successful job!
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Post by triitout on Nov 6, 2019 2:14:59 GMT
It's already for your next visit along with the Kiwi green single speed! |
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Post by triitout on Nov 6, 2019 2:23:12 GMT
I guess this is one of those upgrades when you don't want it looking significantly different before and after- so this is a very successful job! Before: It was like staring at the Mona Lisa behind a barrier at the museum! After: It's like going out on the town with a hot and real Mona Lisa! Thanks for your kind words as I strive to keep piling up those Viscount miles  |
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 9, 2019 20:25:25 GMT
Thanks again to triitout for finding and recommending the Action FK0024 fork. I just received mine in the mail today and will probably cut and fit it next week. I will take measurements of the original death fork and the Action fork so we can see how they differ. They are quite close.
I have two minor complaints:
There is a small piece of flash inside my left fork blade that rattles/rings when shaken. I don't think this will be a problem when the wheel is installed. I can see it through one of the air holes but it might be too big to remove. Trying to shake it out could make an interesting game. If unsuccessful, I might inject a little epoxy onto it and let it fall into the dropout end of the blade, permanently silencing it.
The other problem is poor packing for shipment. The bare fork was placed in an oversize Tyvek bag and shipped, no bubble wrap or other protection. I am amazed there is no damage. The chrome plating is very nice and apparently quite hard. If you order one of these, ask for some extra packaging.
More after I measure.
Brian
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Post by triitout on Nov 10, 2019 22:39:57 GMT
Hi Brian,
That sucks that you got a little flash inside. I'd probably give them a call and send it back for replacement but maybe the epoxy will do the job. Don't forget that the new headset stack height may be different than the original. Measure 10 times, cut once! Enjoy the reno!
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,380
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Post by Jem on Nov 13, 2019 8:58:00 GMT
There is a small piece of flash inside my left fork blade that rattles/rings when shaken.If unsuccessful, I might inject a little epoxy onto it and let it fall into the dropout end of the blade, permanently silencing it.
Great solution Brian! |
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Post by craig on May 13, 2020 18:32:22 GMT
I purchased the FK0024 fork and it came with a note saying that the stem expander should not expand within the threaded portion of the steerer as the threaded portion is not strong enough. Since I need to remove only about 30mm from the length of the steerer, about 100mm of thread remains. Thus, my expander is well within the threaded area. Any comments from those who have had this situation?
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Post by brianbutler on May 14, 2020 0:46:43 GMT
Unfortunately mine did not come with that note. Now I will have to check and see if my expander expands inside the threaded portion. Ironic if we are replacing death forks with alternative death forks. Now that you mention this dopey design flaw it is obvious that the steerer tube should be threaded only as much as needed after the tube is cut to the proper length. Dang.
Brian
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Post by franco on May 14, 2020 15:43:54 GMT
As Jim says,you can always switch back. Do it,plus photos please. Cheers, Pete. Att: Pete Photos as requested. Maiden voyage on a gusty NYC Marathon sunday. The best thing is the photos of the before and after don't look much different. I also put on a new budget 700c wheel set with gumwall Pacela PT's along with a new 14-28 freewheel and chain. The overall weight dropped by about 2 lbs and the bike has a sportier, racy feel to it. Thanks everyone for the good advise! Cheers, Michael IMG_0061 IMG_0077 IMG_0084 Only just seen these pics, they look ace, great job! |
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Post by wheelson on May 14, 2020 18:37:24 GMT
Unfortunately mine did not come with that note. Now I will have to check and see if my expander expands inside the threaded portion. Ironic if we are replacing death forks with alternative death forks. Now that you mention this dopey design flaw it is obvious that the steerer tube should be threaded only as much as needed after the tube is cut to the proper length. Dang.
Brian
Buying chrome replacement forks is a tough job. Too much thread and you run into that expander/threaded problem. Too little thread and your friendly local bike shop won't want to dull his 1 inch fork threader on that hard chrome if the column is plated as well. It's a fine wire to be walked. Best, John "wheelson" Wilson
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Post by brianbutler on May 14, 2020 19:26:27 GMT
The column on the FK0024 is not plated. Brian
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Post by triitout on May 15, 2020 1:36:42 GMT
Unfortunately mine did not come with that note. Now I will have to check and see if my expander expands inside the threaded portion. Ironic if we are replacing death forks with alternative death forks. Now that you mention this dopey design flaw it is obvious that the steerer tube should be threaded only as much as needed after the tube is cut to the proper length. Dang.
Brian
I did some measuring and I think we are both OK. The fork is threaded for 120mm leaving 130mm of solid steel steering tube. It looks like you've got the 22" size C-C from your photo. The original fork on my 23" bike had 165mm unthreaded section. I would expect yours to be 1 inch less and be about 140mm. You only need to allow 10mm extra from the minimal insertion mark to be in the unthreaded section with the 130mm long Viscount stem. I had to drop my Viscount stem all the way down to gain that extra inch to have the quill expander end in the solid steerer section. Another way to look at it is to add 130mm solid steerer + 130mm Viscount quill length = 260mm and then subtract 25mm for the quill expander section=235mm ( about 9 1/4 inches from the bottom of lower headset race to top of stem). I managed to get it down to 9 1/2" so I should be OK and you should be fine with the 1 " smaller frame. Did I totally confuse you or did I give you some peace of mind?? |
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. I think it refers to the shipping weight as if I care when it's free or more likely not really free, just reflected in the price.
