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Wrong size bike

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01 / Original postWrong size bikeTerry D · 2 Jul 2005 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9Call me Bob · 7 Jul 2005

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Original section
UK and Europe
Published
2 July 2005
Last activity
7 July 2005
Original author
Terry D
Posts
9
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
438
Views / 30 days
0
Topics
Frame sizingTaper and peaking

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  1. Original post
    Terry D
    Archived post
    #1

    Whilst changing my stem for a slightly shorter model in an attempt to prevent an
    intermittent trapped nerve problem, I managed to completely wreck the star
    fangled nut thingy. [1]

    No problem I thought (although it did happen on Thursday evening so I had to go
    to work by car on Friday, ugh!) all I have to do is pop down to Guildford on
    Saturday and get a new one. I'll be back on the road by Saturday afternoon. The
    following replies were received from the three shops I visited. (Reporting
    accuracy not guaranteed exact, but the sentiment is about right)

    Halfrauds. (Please read with a 'Merkin accent) "A what? We probably don't have
    one in that size. I don't think we have any at all. What is that?"

    Pedal Pushers. "No, not in that size. You could use a 1.125" and file it down to
    size"

    Raleigh Shop. "Only 1.125". We have lots of those. The distributors won't sell
    small quantities of such items"

    A phone call to Evans Cycles in Woking came up positive, so I drove (second bike
    not yet complete, cash flow problem, ok!) over in the afternoon and introduced
    myself to the Saturday Afternoon Yoof. "Oh yeah, right." Conference with older
    and possibly slightly wiser Yoof. Item is pointed out on a hanger and duly
    extracted. "How much?" I enquire. "£9.99" I am informed. A heated exchange
    follows during which I point out that a Carbon Fibre version is on offer for a
    mere £6.99 on their website and I enquire politely as to the properties of the
    £9.99 version. Eventually a second search of the hanger produces a one inch star
    nut, complete with cap for the staggering sum of £2.99.

    And I thought cycle lanes were the only nuisance I had to contend with.

    [1] If you must know, the new stem was a gnat's shorter (vertically) than the
    old one, so the bearing adjustment never actually happened and the star nut lost
    two of its blades and pulled out. I suspect corrosion had a hand in the blade
    failures.

    --
    Terry Duckmanton.

    http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terry.duckmanton
    A website mostly dedicated to cycling

    Report
  2. Tim Hall
    Archived post
    #2

    On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 22:27:41 GMT, Terry D <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:

    Whilst changing my stem for a slightly shorter model in an attempt to prevent an
    intermittent trapped nerve problem, I managed to completely wreck the star
    fangled nut thingy. [1]

    <snip>

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Tim

    (2) Just read C+ where it describes a square taper chainset as the
    *original* way. Have these people never heard of cotter pins? (3)

    (3) Waits for more venerable readers to hark back to whatever preceded
    the cotter pin.

    Tim

    Report
  3. Pete Biggs
    Archived post
    #3
    Tim Hall said:

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Takes more skill and time to get the headset just right like that, but it
    is indeed well possible.

    ~PB

    Report
  4. Terry D
    Archived post
    #4
    Pete Biggs said:
    Tim Hall said:

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Takes more skill and time to get the headset just right like that, but it
    is indeed well possible.

    ~PB

    That's the really annoying part of all this, once you've set up the bearings the
    bolt is only there to hold the cover on.

    --
    Terry Duckmanton.

    http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terry.duckmanton
    A website mostly dedicated to cycling

    Report
  5. Zog The Undeniable
    Archived post
    #5
    Terry D said:

    That's the really annoying part of all this, once you've set up the
    bearings the bolt is only there to hold the cover on.


    Apart from forks with a carbon steerer. There's a reasonable chance of
    crushing the steerer with the stem if the expander bung (carbon forks
    don't use a star nut) isn't in there to reinforce it.

    How the USE Ring-Go-Star device gets round this I don't know. Maybe it
    doesn't, and you have to go really easy on the stem clamp.

    Report
  6. Pete Biggs
    Archived post
    #6
    Zog The Undeniable said:
    Terry D said:

    That's the really annoying part of all this, once you've set up the
    bearings the bolt is only there to hold the cover on.


    Apart from forks with a carbon steerer. There's a reasonable chance
    of crushing the steerer with the stem if the expander bung (carbon
    forks don't use a star nut) isn't in there to reinforce it.

    How the USE Ring-Go-Star device gets round this I don't know. Maybe
    it doesn't, and you have to go really easy on the stem clamp.

    I'd like to see all stem manufacturers copying Oval Concepts' design, that
    uses a "bias-cut slot and opposed clamp bolts to reduce peak clamping
    loads, which is especially important for carbon steerers".
    - http://www.ovalconcepts.com/products/index.html - road - stems -
    R700

    On a similar theme, the Campagnolo seat clamp is good for carbon seat
    posts. These products are also good to use on metal steerers and posts,
    IME. It's nice to be able to clamp securely without having to worry about
    stripping threads and bending bolts, etc. You can just tell from the feel
    (when doing the bolts up) that they really do work well. Makes the
    traditional straight-slot designs seem stupid.

    ~PB

    Report
  7. Call me Bob
    Archived post
    #7

    On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 17:38:00 GMT, Terry D <[email hidden]>

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Takes more skill and time to get the headset just right like that, but it
    is indeed well possible.

    That's the really annoying part of all this, once you've set up the bearings the
    bolt is only there to hold the cover on.

    Leave it off.

    I do without star nuts and top caps now. You can use a length of
    threaded bar and some nuts 'n washers as a universal headset
    tensioner, which is removed once the job is done.

    This leaves the fork steerer tube free for your computer cable 🙂

    Computer mounts on the stem, the cable and sensor are fed neatly down
    the fork steerer and taped inside of the fork leg. Very neat and
    practically invisible, none of that coiling it around brake cables
    malarkey. Champagne cork with a suitable notch then stuffs in the top
    to cap it off.

    "Bob"
    --

    "I will refuse to register for an ID card and will donate £10
    to a legal defence fund but only if 10,000 other people will
    also make this same pledge." Phil Booth, NO2ID

    Join the Pledge !!

    http://www.pledgebank.com/refuse

    http://www.pledgebank.com/faq

    Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

    Report
  8. Pete Biggs
    Archived post
    #8
    I said:
    Quoted message said:

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Takes more skill and time to get the headset just right like that,
    but it is indeed well possible.

    Update: Just found out it's not so possible on a steeply rising stem, I
    suppose because it's difficult to push the stem down /squarely/ by hand.

    ~PB

    Report
  9. Call me Bob
    Archived post
    #9

    On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 23:22:20 +0100, "Pete Biggs"

    p@biggspomegranate_remove_overpriced_fruit.tc said:
    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Too late now,but isn't it possible to install these new fangled (2)
    thredless headsets by leanig on the top end and doing up the pinch
    bolts. I think Sheldon has something on it.

    Takes more skill and time to get the headset just right like that,
    but it is indeed well possible.

    Update: Just found out it's not so possible on a steeply rising stem, I
    suppose because it's difficult to push the stem down /squarely/ by hand.

    I think, based only on my own limited experience, that it helps to put
    the rear wheel up on an appropriately sized block/whatever, so that
    the head tube is vertical. Seems to aid getting the pressure squarely
    down through the headset.

    "Bob"
    --

    "I will refuse to register for an ID card and will donate £10
    to a legal defence fund but only if 10,000 other people will
    also make this same pledge." Phil Booth, NO2ID

    Join the Pledge !!

    http://www.pledgebank.com/refuse

    http://www.pledgebank.com/faq

    Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

    Report

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