What are these expensive headset fitting tools you mention

My big rubber mallet cost me a tenner and the chopping board was just lying around the kitchen.

Was I doing it wrong?

Thanks for the answers, was pretty much what I thought it was after all.

Cheers

Actually, to clarify my comments – facing a headset is of limited importance, what’s important is that the reaming is accurate, since it’s the reaming that matters for headset cup alignment. Equally BB facing is much less important than alignment of the BB threads.

Was I doing it wrong?

no, but I think people would expect a bike shop fitting a £100 headset to a £2500 frame to at least brush the bread crumbs off the board first.

What are these expensive headset fitting tools you mention

😀

Exactly. I did treat myself to a headset cup removal tool for about £15 as screwdrivers damage the inside of the cups, but all I ever use to fit headsets is a wooden mallett, or if it’s a bare frame I just stick it in the vice. You can make headset presses out of threaded rod and washers though. BBs need the tools, but tools to remove every common BB on the market (SQ taper, Octalink, HT2) can be had for under £30

no, but I think people would expect a bike shop fitting a £100 headset to a £2500 frame to at least brush the bread crumbs off the board first.

Fair enough. I can see why some people leave these thing to the pros

Yes, there’s the “in case we **** it up” insurance to cover 🙂

and how much you are annoying me…

stroppy git tax?

but all I ever use to fit headsets is a wooden mallett

I’ve fit a few before but an fsa orbit reducer into a 1’5″ headtube bloody awful, really difficult to fit and due to frames 1 and 2 having faults I had to do it a couple times, got the shop to fit it to the third frame gratis.

It’s fair to charge more for parts supplied i/o parts bought in the shop.

No it’s not. It’s fair to charge less if the parts were bought in the shop.

Exactly – that’s what I said )

stroppy git tax?

Yup, I like to be capricious 🙂

Genuine offer:

If anyone is close to me in Farnborough, Hants, I will fit stuff like this for free if I have time, as long as you bring some Jaffa Cakes.

I’m in Marple and can make a similar offer. I don’t have a headset removal tool (yet) but they’re only £15 or so.