I’ve bought some replacement forks for my road bike and the steerer is nearly as long as struts.

So do you any tips on cutting the steerer to the correct length and more importantly square.

Get the right tool for the job, only sensible way to cut tubes.

You can get a pipe cutter which twists around the tube while you tighten it steadily. Or a guide for a hacksaw.

Measure at least twice, cut once. Doesn’t help with your questions but is important nonetheless!

Yar! Was gonna say measure twice, cut once. Good advice though so prob ok to say it twice!
I used a good quality pipe cutter I got from a friend, don’t knOw of it would work with a tapered steerer but was fine on my straight one and kept it square. Just had to file down the flight lip it caused and it was done. Piece of cake!

Top tip to save buying one of the mega expensive cutting guides. Take 2 stems and bolt them back to back on the steerer with a blade width gap between them, this ensures you get a square cut. Also echo the measure twice tip.

The cut doesn’t need to be perfectly level the 5mm spacer you will be fitting under the top cap takes care of any irregularities

Just measure carefully, mark the cut with masking tape and get stuck in with a fresh hacksaw blade.

2 cans of Strongbow, a wonky vice and a blunt junior hacksaw is what I use.

Top tip to save buying one of the mega expensive cutting guides. Take 2 stems

I think buying another stem would be more expensive than a saw guide.

Also doesnt this risk scratching the stem to bits?

I used one of these, and used it 3 times already so think it has paid for itself.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10222

2 cans of Strongbow

it is quite scary at 1st, especially if its some brand new forks.

I did my SIDS, but think I measured about 10 times, and still cut them 10mm too long just in case, trimmed off the rest once I was happy.

Saw guide £18 off CRC.

measure twice … etc. (or assemble the thing uncut and mark the headtube where you think it’ll need cutting)
Do a common sense check as well. Measure your frame’s head tube, add the depth of your stem and add a bit for luck. Make bloody sure that your cutting mark isn’t a long way off that.
(also longer steerers make forks more sellable when you’re done with them)

I have a couple of uncut steerers on bikes, just because I haven’t got round to it. Tiny bit more dangerous If I fall on it but CBA to sort anytime soon (neither uncut steerer is on a bike I’m likely to have a massive crash on)

I do the 2 stems thing too – one is a ded old one that cracked the faceplate and stripped a thread, the other is whatever I’m using on the new fork

What everybody else has said!

Pipe cutter from B and Q works for me.

Thanks for the advice, I’d not seen the X-Tools one.

Does anyone know if it will work on a 1″ steerer?

Does anyone know if it will work on a 1″ steerer?

yes.

I just fit the forks to the bike put all spacers on then the stem, mark the steer tube all the way round with a make pen, then take the forks out , put them in the vice and cut the tube with a hacksaw around 5mm below the line.

As said above it doesn’t need to be cut perfectly square anyhow.

As said, build it up mark the top of the stem, dismantle then cut 5mm down from that line. If you cant cut 1 1/8″ pipe square within 5 mm take it to a grown up.

I tend to use a cable tie as a guide. Easy, cheap and disposable.

Work out what stem height you want, but dont cut straight away. try for a few rides with extra spacers above the stem to hold it all tight, and only trim the steerer once you are sure its high enough!!

+1 for B&Q pipe cutter

Ruler, sharpie, angle grinder, file.