I am getting ready to put a new set of forks on, but there’s not SFN fitted. These are road forks and i’d rather not fit a SFN if at all possible.

ONe of the other bikes came with some fancy plug thing instead of a SFN.

I’ve had bad experiences of older x-lite types, so welcome to newer suggestions of ones that actually work well and stay in, without gouging marks down the inside.

What do you use?

The hope type ‘head doctor’ works well.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/hope-head-doctor-headset-adjusters/rp-prod911

Hope Head Doctor ?
http://www.hopetech.com/product/head-doctor/

Carbon steerer?

Hope do the Head Doctor

I’ve recently used one of these
http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=0&c=70&p=637

As above thrice. All my bikes have them

Have they changed the design of them?

I tried one a few years back and it was terrible, just didn’t function. Ended up using sfn and the Hope top cap just for decision.

If you do get the Hope one, tighten it up with a standard headset bolt and cap, then fit the Hope alu one. They’re so easy to snap it’s ridiculous

I tried one a few years back and it was terrible, just didn’t function. Ended up using sfn and the Hope top cap just for decision.

I have found this in the past. I believed it to be galling as all parts are made of the same material. I stripped mine down and added chain lube to the sliding parts while keeping the outside dry as a bone so it would grip the steerer.

I have to confess that I usually revert to the star nut as I prefer them and bought a setting tool years ago. I have lots of Head Doctors without the cap in my spares box as a result.

Not in a carbon steerer though – OK?

Quite. I don’t use Carbon parts. Just sharing experiences.

Yeah, tried everything with mine. Just wouldn’t expand into the head tube to grip enough as I tightened it. Just pulled the “bung” up as I turned the bolt. Tried various bodges but never really got it to work even half reliably. I think it used to have a lot of bad reviews on crc for exactly this problem?

Hope HD as above. Only problem I’ve had has been ham-fistedness leading to a broken alloy bolt so I 2nd that steel bolt suggestion – it’s exactly what I do.

You do know that you tighten the bung into the steerer before fitting the top cap don’t you???

Just bought one of these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/colnago-fork-expander/rp-prod70234

Works well.

Hed Doctor isn’t compatible with thick walled steerers btw- I had to machine mine down quite a bit to get it to work with some carbon forks

Hope Head Doctor is junk compared to the competition.

This is good but a bit fiddly if it falls to bits in your steerer:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/deda-expander-bung/

Best one I’ve ever used came with a Scott road frame I bought, but I doubt you can buy them separately (wish I’d kept it when I sold the frame).