Forks for Vicount

[Oldbiker]

I have A Viscount Aerospace Pro, complete with the dreaded death forks. I bought it new in 1976 and commuted on it daily for over 25 years with no problems. It's been in dry storage since then. I dug it out over the weekend and it still looks in fair condition considering it's age. I really like to start using it again, but now I know about the fork problem and the fact that I have gained a lot of weight, I think it wise to replace the forks. I know there are many different types of forks in use, but have no idea what parameters or measurements I need to check when looking for a suitable replacement. I have measured the diameter of the steerer tube and it's 1" (25.4mm) and it's 223mm long. Please can anyone give me some guidance as to where and what to look for as suitable replacement.
T I A
Oldbiker

 

[dan_bo]

oo er..... what's the problem with the forks?

If you're intent on replacing them, there'll be (I imagine) plenty of similar forks on fleabay. Failing that, have a chat with a local framebuilder about getting something suitable built up.

 

[swee'pea99]

1" is bog standard - it's the length that's the issue. All you can do (unless you're prepared to go new & costly) is keep an eye on ebay and wait for the right one to come up. You can always cut some off one that's overlong (up to a point - only the end is threaded) but you can't of course use one that's too short.

 

[Oldbiker]

Ok, Thanks for the replies, I'll have a good look around the net to see if I can find something suitable. Will probable go for a new set if not too expensive.

 

[MacB]

OB, depends on what you want to keep/replace. with 2 old frames I'm buidling up I've ditched forks, headset etc. Personal choice I've gone for 1" threadless forks so that all my bikes will be 'ahead' style setups. Best I found, with all the braxeons, were the Surly Crosscheck at £70, these are steel. SJS cycles do a steel set at about £45 and some of the bike builders offer 1" threadless forks on request. For the headset I used the BBB one from Dotbike based on recommendation. I also bought some 1" spacers from them as well. Probably about £100 to replace the whole lot.