News for January 10

Spanish Top 3 for 1995

Michael from Denmark sent me this snippet.

There were 3 Spanish riders in the Top 50 on the UCI Classification. 
Indurain with 2338 points, Olano 1098 and Mauri 647.

Colombia - a land of Promise

    In 62 editions, the Worlds Road Championships, has deserted Europe
    only five times. On two of those occasions they crossed the ocean
    to visit South America: 1977 San Cristobal, Venezuela; 1995
    Duitama, Colombia.

    "The fundamental difference between Colombia and the other
    countries on that continent," said Gianni Savio, team manager for
    Glacial-Selle Italia, "Cacaito" Rodriguez' team, who knows the
    South American scene well, "Is that Colombia has a cycling
    tradition not found elsewhere in Latin America. There are schools,
    technicians and riders capable of winning in Europe as Lucho
    Herrera did."

    "The other countries are following; the Vuelta al Tachira del
    Venezuela, for example, draws large crowds right from the start.
    In Mexico they initiated, in grand style, a National Tour; prior
    to that, Mexican cycling was in a primordial state."

    "But Colombia already has well established Tours like the Tour of
    Colombia or the Clasico RCN. That is why we are investing in
    Colombian cycling."

Elite Calendar -- Additions

   The following races should be added to the Elite Calendar
   previously reported

   March 27-31 Tour of Sardinia (It). This race has not been run since
   1983, and will consist of a prologue and four stages.

   June 9-11 Tour of Rioja (Sp)

How to fit a new headset

What tools do I need?

   * Headset adjusting race spanner (to fit)
   * Locknut spanner (to fit) (or large adjustable)
   * 6mm allen key
   * 5mm allen key
   * 50cm 12mm studding and 3 nuts (from tool or building suppliers)
   * Two spanners for studding nuts (or adjustable)
   * 2 bottom bracket cups (used)
   * Blunt screwdriver
   * Hammer
   * Vice (optional)
   * Vernier caliper (optional)

Before you start

   Dismantle and inspect the bearing races (steps 1 & 2) before buying
   a new headset. It may be that new bearings and grease will be
   sufficient to rejuvenate your old headset. Some headsets (such as
   Stronglight roller bearing models) have replaceable races that
   don't require the cups and fork crown to be changed; you save
   money!

Buying your headset

   If buying a different make/model headset to the one you're
   replacing you will need to know the stack height.; the distance
   from the bottom of the fork crown race to the base of the head tube
   plus the distance from the top of the head tube to the top of the
   locknut, including one spacing piece. Your new headset can be less
   than this, but must not exceed it. If less, you will probably need
   an additional spacing piece (packing) or two.

   Professional quality road headsets including all Campagnolo models
   usually use very slightly wider frame cups (typically 30.2mm in
   place of 30.0mm) and a very slightly narrower crown race (typically
   26.4mm in place of 27mm). Get the right headset if you can. Fitting
   one of these headsets to a bike that didn't use one of the same
   dimensions means the frameset needs reamed out by a framebuilder or
   competent bike shop. MTB headsets, both 1 1/8in and 1/4in have
   uniform diameters.

   Italian and English threads are interchangeable. French threaded
   forks require their own headset.

   The milled (reamed out) portions of your head tube must be deep
   enough, a possible problem when upgrading or changing make of
   headset.

   Get the same make and model of headset if you possibly can and
   avoid running into fitting problems.

Step 1

   Remove headset locknut, adjusting race and fork. Remove handlebar
   stem, front wheel and brake. With a spanner on the adjusting race,
   slacken off and remove the locknut. Lift off the tanged spacing
   piece and now unscrew the adjusting race. Lift off the ball cages
   and seals and remove the forks.

Step 2

Clean and inspect.

   Use white spirit and an old tooth brush to clean the races and ball
   cages. You need to look for brinelling and grooving or pitting. If
   all is fine go straight on to Step 8.

Step 3

Remove upper and lower cups.

   Use an old screwdriver and hammer to knock out both cups. Starting
   from the inside, work from one side of the cup's inner lip to the
   other to make sure it comes out evenly, with no danger of damaging
   the head tube.

Step 4

Remove crown race.

   Replace the lock nut, and supporting this over a block of wood, use
   the blunt screwdriver or drift to drive the crown race off. Again
   work from side to side.

Step 5

Buy replacements.

   Take your old headset to your dealer so your new one will have the
   same diameters and stack height. Alternatively, measure the
   diameters with a vernier caliper.

Step 6

Fit upper and lower cups.

   Lock two nuts together on the studding. The cup with the deepest
   bell is the bottom race, the shallower the top; position them in
   place. Use either the old bottom bracket cups, or appropriately
   sized sockets to fit into the cups and rest on the races. Thread
   through the studding, then screw down the remaining nut to press
   the cups in. Check that they go is squarely and are fully inserted.

   Alloy cups : Make sure the arrangement won't deform the cups; the
   bearing races are the safest area to press on.

   Seals : Remove these temporarily if they might get damaged in the
   fitting process.

Step 7

Fit crown race.

   If you have a vice, preset it a fraction wider than the fork
   column. Slide the fork back and forth, hitting the race against the
   vice. Make sure it's fully seated and straight.

   Or... Use a piece of tubing (a 28mm down tube from a scrap frame is
   ideal for road bikes) and use it to ram the crown race down.

Step 8

Fit bearings and adjusting race.

   Replace the seals if you removed these. Grease the races liberally
   and install the ball cages. The lower one always goes facing up.
   The top usually goes facing up: try fitting the top stack together
   without the forks and rotate the adjusting race to test. If it
   feels at all rough or strange, try the other way up and compare .
   Replace forks and finger tighten the adjusting race.

   Old headsets : Use new ball cages if you can get them.

   Alternatively loose ball-bearings of the same diameter can be used
   in most cases, with balls of the same diameter. Get your dealer to
   check. Stick loose ball-bearings shoulder to shoulder on the crown
   race and top cup, leaving a gap of two bearings.

Step 9

Fit spacer and locknut.

   Normally one spacing piece is fitted followed by cable hanger if
   you have one and the locknut. Align the spacer's tang or flat with
   the forks recess or flat. Replace the lock nut: it must tighten
   properly against the spacer and not bottom out. there should be
   space between the top of the fork column and locknut. If there's no
   gap, add an extra spacer.


Step 10

Adjust.

  Hold the adjustable race in the desired position and tighten the
  locknut down on to it. The forks must turn freely with no sign of
  play when you rock the fork blades back and forth. Turn the forks
  and try for play in all positions. Repeat the adjustment until it's
  just right. Replace wheel, brakes and handlebar stem. If the headset
  is tight in one place, and loose in others, check the crown race and
  headset cups are square in the frame and on the forks.