Looking for the nonexistent headset.

Werehatrack said:

I have an ancient Rollfast tandem that needs a headset. It's
otherwise a one-piece-crank bike, so I made the brash assumption that
a BMX headset should fit, and off to the LBS I went.

The crown race in the new headset is too big.

Back to the LBS; after much headscratching and box-excavation, we find
a headset with a crown race that's marked "26.3", which we figure is
about as undersized as they get. I buy it, take it home, and try it.

It's still too big.

I grab the mike. The shoulder for the crown race on the fork is
26.0mm.

AAAARGH!

Anybody know of a place I can get a headset for this fossil? Or any
suggestions for a fix other than the inevitable "snip a strip of the
beverage can of your choice, and make a shim"?

(Maybe I better yank a cup and measure the shoulder diameter on that
as well; this thing could be so completely nonstandard that even the
head tube is screwy-sized.)

Might it just be easier to swap out the fork?

Werehatrack said:

I have an ancient Rollfast tandem that needs a headset. It's
otherwise a one-piece-crank bike, so I made the brash assumption that
a BMX headset should fit, and off to the LBS I went.
The crown race in the new headset is too big.
Back to the LBS; after much headscratching and box-excavation, we find
a headset with a crown race that's marked "26.3", which we figure is
about as undersized as they get. I buy it, take it home, and try it.
It's still too big.
I grab the mike. The shoulder for the crown race on the fork is
26.0mm.
Anybody know of a place I can get a headset for this fossil? Or any
suggestions for a fix other than the inevitable "snip a strip of the
beverage can of your choice, and make a shim"?
(Maybe I better yank a cup and measure the shoulder diameter on that
as well; this thing could be so completely nonstandard that even the
head tube is screwy-sized.)

Both H.P.Snyder Co.(Rollfast) and Murray Ohio used a headset spec with
26.0 crown and 34mm cups , BSC thread and a 21.9 stem.
Write me and we'll send you one.
Warning! These are not quite Record quality!
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971