How much would you expect a LBS to charge? I would normally just do this myself but I’m only a week out of plaster and cannot really be bothered with bashing things.

Fiver.

Hacksaw a slot in it. Slide it on. Its not actually a bearing race, it locates the lower race so the slot doesn’t matter.

Its not actually a bearing race

some are.

Only if they’re loose bearing headsets, most decent ones these days are cartridge bearings, so the crown race just locates the bearing centrally.

It doesn’t take much bashing. Surely if you can’t bash it you can’t ride either? So wait till you can do both?

Haven’t you got a friend that can pop round and help out ? The hassle of making a round trip to a shop for such a simple job would be way too much for me to bother !

Last time I did one I just gently tapped it with a hammer and bit of 2×1. Probably a lot quicker than going to the bike shop

Get your significant other or mum to do it while you sit on the sofa barking instructions.

Or just say where you live and someone from here might offer to pop round and take care of it.

If you need a few other bits from them, they’ll probably do it for nowt. Last time I went to my LBS the mechanic sorted the crown race and star nut fitting FOC as I bought some tubes and brake mounts etc. at the same time.

Otherwise it’ll be a fiver or so if they’re being reasonable. It really is a two minute job with something approaching a suitable tool, so it’s going to be chump change either way.

I have a but of plastic plumbing cut down that has never failed me yet

Our minimum labour charge is £7.50 but I’d feel a bit embarrassed charging that for this job. What sort of relationship do you have with your LBS?

If a customer who spent the odd bit of money with us needed helping out with something like this I’d imagine we’d do it for free.

40mm plastic waste pipe usually does the trick. There’s sections you can buy that have a bulged end with threads on it for a dual use 1-1/8 on the straight end, 1-1/2 on the bulged (cut off the threaded bit square).

If it’s 1 1/8″, the tube from a hoover usually does the job.

Mine would either charge their £9 minimum or possibly do it for free…

All depends – did it come with a headset? 😉

The headset and crown race came with the frame that I bought a year ago. The shop is new and I haven’t bought anything from them apart from coffee. But they will be my new LBS after I wasn’t very happy with my usual one. They are 5 mins walk from my office and on the way home for me so that isn’t an issue. The headset uses cartridge bearings so I could cut the race I think but at the moment I feel happy to pay my LBS to fit it.

Hacksaw a slot in it. Slide it on. Its not actually a bearing race, it locates the lower race so the slot doesn’t matter.

Unless the crown race seat isn’t square or there’s some paint on it or a burr on the steerer or the bearing is fussy about alignment.

We’ve had this argument before, though – it’s one of those things that you can bodge yourself quite happily and get away with it, but a good shop will do it properly and be worth paying the money for.

Usually ends up with us stripping, cleaning and re greasing the headset bearings and cups too as they’re bogging, however usually done free if in conjunction with fork sale or full service

I got it done for £5 plus a star nut (that i fitted at home)at wheelspin in hudds

I’ve used a length of pipe at my mates factory before but was in a hurry this time and the mechanic did it in less than a minute. I was impressed and on my way in quick time