"David L. Johnson" <
[email protected]> wrote:
>On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 06:29:29 +0000, Tim McTeague wrote:
>> I don't know why so many are still attached to old headsets. I LOVE the threadless design. Yes, I
>> miss the easy adjustability of quill stems
>
>Enough for me, there. A minor spill -- pushes your bars out of alignment, then you have to
>re-adjust the headset?
Worse, due to the fact the threadless design grips the steer tube more than is necessary, very
likely the crash will bend your bars. Worse yet, if your soft middle is what's doing the bending,
the damage could be painful.
With a threaded stem, the stem simply slips a bit. You stand the bike up, twist it back and ride.
If you pack the bike for shipment with a threadless stem, the fork is no longer held in. When you
reassemble the bike, you'll have to futz around with the headset preload. Oh, and did you remember
to tape all those spacers to the bike, or do you have to drive to the LBS to get some more?
With a threaded stem, drop it in, set the height, twist the allen wrench and ride. If you decide to
raise the bars a bit in the middle of a ride, it's a 30 second adjustment. With a threaded stem, you
get to pull the stem off, juggle washers, and reset your headset preload (unless you drop one of the
washers or bolts, in which case you get to ride in the sag).
>> And, while I did not have to adjust it often, I hated having to use those huge wrenchs. More than
>> once over the years my headset became lose on a ride and I had to keep trying to tighten it with
>> my hands, as who carries the proper tools for that?
>
>My headset has been quietly doing its job for two years. No adjustment. Meanwhile, I move the bars
>to accomodate my aging back, no trouble, and to re-align after falling in the rain.
I NEVER have to tighten my threaded headsets. Just get 'em right the first time and ride until you
decide to repack.
> Threadless can be adjusted with just about any mini-tool.
>> Alligning the stem does not require me to "pound" the center bolt to free the wedge as with
>> quills.
>
>"Pound"?
A love tap, maybe. With a bit of grease and an absolute minimal amount of maintenance, you're not
going to have any problems with a threaded stem.
Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame