Cone or wedge quill stem ?

jonmig said:

hi guys ,a quick question for you ..I am trying to decide which type of quill stem to buy and am in a dilemna as I don't know which is the better of the two .they are both exactly the same stem (dura ace and ultegra made by Nitto in the 80's) but one has a wedge end the other a cone expander end and I would love to know what the difference is between the two can anybody advise? 🙄

..many many thanks Mike uk

I've used both and, once they are installed, I can't tell any difference. My first choice would be the one that fits me best. If they are the same, I'd pick the one that looks nicer to me or the one that weighs the less.

jonmig said:

hi guys ,a quick question for you ..I am trying to decide which type of quill stem to buy and am in a dilemna as I don't know which is the better of the two .they are both exactly the same stem (dura ace and ultegra made by Nitto in the 80's) but one has a wedge end the other a cone expander end and I would love to know what the difference is between the two can anybody advise? 🙄

..many many thanks Mike uk

Agree with Retro--functionally no difference.

Both of the stems are absolutely the most beautiful made...the Dura Ace is a little lighter because it uses an aluminum cone expander. If the price isn't much different I'd go for the Dura Ace. When you mount the handlebar, make sure it's tight. Because of the way the pressure plate holds the bars it tends to slip a little easier than most designs. You really can't go wrong with either stem. What sort of bike are you installing this on?

hi guys thanks for your valuable advice ,I've just recently taken to riding again I have a 531 reynolds light-weight with full dura ace 9sp groupset the stem was proving to be a big problem as everything has changed so much but I'm a traditionalist and I still like the old kit and have located the shimano's in the us,the stems are exactly the same except for the expanders thats why I am puzzled as to the difference I guess from your replies it must just be down to the light weight issue ....cheers everyone safe riding 😉

Back in the day (the '70s, in my case) it was said that the cone type (e.g. Cinelli) were superior to the wedge style because the latter could put an asymmetric force on the steerer and potentially cause damage. I've never actually seen this sort of damage and since that time the vast majority of stems seem to use the wedge....

jmoryl said:

Back in the day (the '70s, in my case) it was said that the cone type (e.g. Cinelli) were superior to the wedge style because the latter could put an asymmetric force on the steerer and potentially cause damage. I've never actually seen this sort of damage and since that time the vast majority of stems seem to use the wedge....

hi Jmoryl ..thank you for that info ,I've read quite a few things which say exactly that ,the only thing is some people seem to get mixed up with which is the cone and which is the wedge some just call them both expanders ,some say the cone is better some say the wedge lol ,no wonder I get confused anyway I've decided to go for the one with the big metal thingy that hangs off the end ;0) cheers buddy ..

3Sensei said:

Both of the stems are absolutely the most beautiful made...the Dura Ace is a little lighter because it uses an aluminum cone expander. If the price isn't much different I'd go for the Dura Ace. When you mount the handlebar, make sure it's tight. Because of the way the pressure plate holds the bars it tends to slip a little easier than most designs. You really can't go wrong with either stem. What sort of bike are you installing this on?

I wonder if Shimano will ever move into the 21st century and start making a threadless headset?

PeterF said:

I wonder if Shimano will ever move into the 21st century and start making a threadless headset?

anything would be better than the new style that seems to have been adopted
I say tradition should win over modern design everyday when it comes to bikes..

jonmig said:

anything would be better than the new style that seems to have been adopted
I say tradition should win over modern design everyday when it comes to bikes..

The quill stem certainly was/is a work of art especially compared to some of the new threadless stems that look like a piece of black pipe with some graphics that always wear off. But the threadless design is here to stay because of the light weight and stiffnes. I'm just surprised that the company that brought us index shifting, integrate shift/brake levers and outboard bearing bb's still only sells threaded headses.

I thought the main benefit of the cone was that it is les likely to seize in the fork and not require bashing with a block of wood before releasing

jmoryl said:

Back in the day (the '70s, in my case) it was said that the cone type (e.g. Cinelli) were superior to the wedge style because the latter could put an asymmetric force on the steerer and potentially cause damage. I've never actually seen this sort of damage and since that time the vast majority of stems seem to use the wedge....

Fignon le Grand said:

I thought the main benefit of the cone was that it is les likely to seize in the fork and not require bashing with a block of wood before releasing

I read that too Fignon ,sounds a good explanation I actually prefer the cone too the wedge because the stem hasn't been weakened at the bottom by the thinning out process and the two cuts ,its just the thought that theres more metal left on the cone style that makes me prefer it.. crazy I know but a good topic don't you think 🙄

Fignon le Grand said:

I thought the main benefit of the cone was that it is les likely to seize in the fork and not require bashing with a block of wood before releasing

Maybe. But it has been my experience that both types might require a tap on the loosened top bolt to get the stem loose. I've never had to struggle with a severly stuck stem, so perhaps there is a difference in that case.

back in the day it was quite common, mainly with low grade steel frames that just didnt get the same amout of servicing.

jmoryl said:

Maybe. But it has been my experience that both types might require a tap on the loosened top bolt to get the stem loose. I've never had to struggle with a severly stuck stem, so perhaps there is a difference in that case.