Threadless vs. Threaded headsets

Quoted message said:

My fear is that the threadless desin will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Yes if the fork steerer tube gets cut too short youre screwed. If it's left longer you can use
spacers above or below the stem to vary the height. Some shops leave the tube long for this purpose
then will cut the tube when you find the optimal height for a neater appearance. Avoid ANY bike with
a precut steerer tube since you will go crazy attempting to get the right h-bar height. The low bar
looks racier but most people cannot find any comfort like that.

Or try a adjustable stem for threadless .They give you a lot of adjustments.

--
J/O Trailblazer At large !!

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<oCbKa.14241$XG4.13398@rwcrnsc53>...

Quoted message said:

I currently ride on old Univega bike with the threaded head set that came with it. I am looking at
a new Trek bike with a "threadless" design. I am not a racer, more Touring / Endurance rider (I
ride about 100 miles a week and do a century every year). My fear is that the threadless desin
will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Not necessarily, but do make sure that the bike with the threadless fork has enough steerer tube
showing to allow for a fair bit of adjustment whilst you find the position you're happy with (simply
juggle the position of stem and spacers to suit).

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York

Typically some combination of a slightly rising stem (0 to +10 degrees as opposed to -17) and 5+
cm of spacers on the steerer tube will but the bars at a decent height. I like 'em level with
the saddle.

Another thing to consider is frame design. If you go with a frame with a sloping top tube, you can
often get a size that is on the larger side. The sloping gives you standover clearance while
bringing the front end up. Just make sure the top tube won't be too long.

Kyle

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:oCbKa.14241$XG4.13398@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

I currently ride on old Univega bike with the threaded head set that came with it. I am looking at
a new Trek bike with a "threadless" design. I am not a racer, more Touring / Endurance rider (I
ride about 100 miles a week and do a century every year). My fear is that the threadless desin
will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Cheers,

Tom

"Jkpoulos7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My fear is that the threadless desin will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Yes if the fork steerer tube gets cut too short youre screwed. If it's left longer you can use
spacers above or below the stem to vary the height. Some shops leave the tube long for this
purpose then will cut the tube when you

find

Quoted message said:

the optimal height for a neater appearance. Avoid ANY bike with a precut steerer tube since you
will go crazy attempting to get the right h-bar

height.

Quoted message said:

The low bar looks racier but most people cannot find any comfort like that.

This is all true, except that you can get stems with more rise, and most of those can be flipped to
adjust the bar height either above or below that of a straight (90 degree) stem. You can also use
steering tube extenders to add a couple of inches to a steerer that's otherwise cut too short, a bit
of a kludge, but they work well in practice and are much less clunky looking than the typical
adjustable angle stems sold with hybrid/comfort bikes.

[email hidden] (Jkpoulos7) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My fear is that the threadless desin will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Yes if the fork steerer tube gets cut too short youre screwed.

<cut>

Not necessarily, it is possible to fit a quill stem in a threadless steerer tube/A-headset, might
not be very elegant, but it works.

Andrew Webster

Quoted message said:

Not necessarily, it is possible to fit a quill stem in a threadless steerer tube/A-headset, might
not be very elegant, but it works.

How do you compress the headset at that point? Do you just ride with it loose, i.e. falling apart?
Or do you mean threading the steerer?

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Squid-in-Training said:

How do you compress the headset at that point? Do you just ride with it loose, i.e. falling apart?
Or do you mean threading the steerer?

Well, make sure the star nut is down near the bottom of the steerer (using an extra long bolt, if
necessary), clamp on a collar rather than a stem, remove cap, would be my train of thought. Dunno if
that'd actually work.

Jasper

Andrew Webster said:

... it is possible to fit a quill stem in a threadless steerer tube/A-headset, might not be very
elegant, but it works.

It is _sometimes_ possible to do this. We do this routinely installing SR suspension forks on
Raleigh Twentys. These have steel steerers with
1/16" wall thickness, so they work great after being threaded.

However I've run into other steel steerers that had the wrong size bore, making it impossible to use
a conventional 7/8" (22.2 mm) stem.

Also, this should NEVER be done on a fork with an aluminum or plastic steerer, those are not strong
enough to take the outward pressure of the wedge/expander without distorting or cracking.

Sheldon "All Generalizations Are False" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| And what are all these mysteries to me, | Whose life is full of indices and surds? | x^2 +
| 7x + 53 |
| = 11/3 --Lewis Carroll |
+----------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

OK, here is a sort of on topic question to add to this; is there a lockring type device that can be
used for clamping the threadless headsets? That way you could still use a regular quill type stem.

That would certainly simplify the height adjustment problem...

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Although much has been written ( esoecially here!) about the subject in theory, you really just need
to ensure _your_ bicycle fits properly and the theory can wait.

Consult your dealer and ask specifically about handlebar height. If your present bike fits well and
the new one can duplicate that position, then you're fine!

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971 "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message news:oCbKa.14241$XG4.13398@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

I currently ride on old Univega bike with the threaded head set that came with it. I am looking at
a new Trek bike with a "threadless" design. I am not a racer, more Touring / Endurance rider (I
ride about 100 miles a week and do a century every year). My fear is that the threadless desin
will be too low / short for me? is this right?

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks, I did finally buy a bike (Trek 1000 2002 model, sweet deal!) and the Ahead was uncut and the
position was fine. I think because the bike was sized properly I had no problem.

Thanks for the help. (and for the help that was over my head! <gg>😉

Cheers,

Tom

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Although much has been written ( esoecially here!) about the subject in theory, you really just
need to ensure _your_ bicycle fits properly and

the

Quoted message said:

theory can wait.

Consult your dealer and ask specifically about handlebar height. If your present bike fits well
and the new one can duplicate that position, then you're fine!

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971 "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message news:oCbKa.14241$XG4.13398@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

I currently ride on old Univega bike with the threaded head set that

came

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with it. I am looking at a new Trek bike with a "threadless" design. I

am

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not a racer, more Touring / Endurance rider (I ride about 100 miles a

week

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and do a century every year). My fear is that the threadless desin will

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

too low / short for me? is this right?

Cheers,

Tom