In a month or two I'll be getting a new frame sent out to me with the current Hope headset cups already banged in. As I understand it, this headset has a split crown race for easy installation on the forks.

My forks have the old race pressed on - it's a right pig to get on (or off) without damaging it.

My question: is the new headset compatible with the old crown race, saving me the job of having to remove it?

Mike I see know it is chamfered to go inside the bearing and be pushed closed by the bearing,

Wasn't you who wrote that article was it ?

There are better ways of putting headset cups in [usng homemade tools] and fitting non split crown races. Still havent found a good way of getting them off though yet.

Monty, the new Hope headset uses a different bearing, and therefore a differernt race. the depth on the chamfered section of  new one is different to the older version,and so is the sealing arrangement.

You can get a race from Hope though, for a few £££.

ah...

lbs it is then! (and then a yellow pages with hardware page open...)

Mike to put a crown race on is easy, just get a length of 32mm plastic waste pipe from a plumbers merchants cut it to just slightly longer than your streerer, put the race loosely on the steerer then using the waste pipe and a hammer tap it into place.

Thats the method I've uased for years, getting one off is the hard one unless they are Marzocchi forks which have two nice little cut outs to make this job easier.