Christmas is only two weeks away and that usually means a little ‘project’ over the festive break. With (most of) the DIY done for the year,  I’ll get the opportunity to cut the steerer tube on my Thorn Club Tour forks.

As is the norm when it comes to buying tools, I check to see if something is available on the Park Tools website, and then see if I can find a cheaper alternative. I’d like to be in the position to fill the tool box with Park’s finest, but my pockets aren’t deep enough.

The cheaper alternative this time comes from one of SJS Cycles’ Taiwanese suppliers. The Bridgewater shop’s steerer cutter is a hefty piece of kit which sits in a vice and clamps on the tube.  A solid secondary plate is located next to the main clamp face to keep the hacksaw blade square. A simple tool, but effective.

Also in the package from Bridgewater was a cheap star nut installation tool so I can avoid the ‘hit and hope’ tactic I employed when I did the original bike build.

I’ll approach this task with some trepidation, though. Read the discussion groups on the web and the advice is to measure, check, measure again, check, and measure again before you cut. Wish me luck… pictures will be posted here in due course.