spacers on top stem

On the sticker of a ritchey wcs stem, it says there should be an extra 1 cm spacer on top of the
handle bar stem. I presume this is because it is stronger to clamp the stem not at the very end of
the steerer tube?

I have seen many bike images with no extra steerer tube above the stem. Is it really necessary to
have this extra spacer above the stem?? Does it make a difference which fork one has - e.g. I am
using a merlin carbon fork.

thanks - Mike

 

"Joanna and Mike and family" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On the sticker of a ritchey wcs stem, it says there should be an extra 1
cm
> spacer on top of the handle bar stem. I presume this is because it is stronger to clamp the stem
> not at the very end of the steerer tube?
>
> I have seen many bike images with no extra steerer tube above the stem.
Is
> it really necessary to have this extra spacer above the stem?? Does it
make
> a difference which fork one has - e.g. I am using a merlin carbon fork.
>
> thanks - Mike
>
>

I suspect the reason they say that is so that the stem has 100% of it's clamping force on the
steerer. Because some adjustment is required, if you don't use any spacer then at least some of the
stem is not clamping on the steerer, but rather, over the end. I don't think they're worried about
the tube crushing so much as the reduced clamping force. However, when in doubt, if the mfg asks for
it, put it in.

Cheers,

Scott..

 

S. Anderson wrote:
> "Joanna and Mike and family" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On the sticker of a ritchey wcs stem, it says there should be an extra 1 cm spacer on top of the
>> handle bar stem. I presume this is because it is stronger to clamp the stem not at the very end
>> of the steerer tube?
>>
>> I have seen many bike images with no extra steerer tube above the stem. Is it really necessary to
>> have this extra spacer above the stem?? Does it make a difference which fork one has - e.g. I am
>> using a merlin carbon fork.
>
> I suspect the reason they say that is so that the stem has 100% of it's clamping force on the
> steerer. Because some adjustment is required, if you don't use any spacer then at least some of
> the stem is not clamping on the steerer, but rather, over the end. I don't think they're worried
> about the tube crushing so much as the reduced clamping force. However, when in doubt, if the mfg
> asks for it, put it in.

Wouldn't 1cm be excessive for this? I would have thought just one or two 2mm spacers would
do the job.

~PB

 

The instructions for my Performance road stem call for the top of the steer tube to be ~3mm below
the top of the stem.

Ken

Pete Biggs wrote:

> S. Anderson wrote:
> > "Joanna and Mike and family" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> On the sticker of a ritchey wcs stem, it says there should be an extra 1 cm spacer on top of
> >> the handle bar stem. I presume this is because it is stronger to clamp the stem not at the very
> >> end of the steerer tube?
> >>
> >> I have seen many bike images with no extra steerer tube above the stem. Is it really necessary
> >> to have this extra spacer above the stem?? Does it make a difference which fork one has - e.g.
> >> I am using a merlin carbon fork.
> >
> > I suspect the reason they say that is so that the stem has 100% of it's clamping force on the
> > steerer. Because some adjustment is required, if you don't use any spacer then at least some of
> > the stem is not clamping on the steerer, but rather, over the end. I don't think they're worried
> > about the tube crushing so much as the reduced clamping force. However, when in doubt, if the
> > mfg asks for it, put it in.
>
> Wouldn't 1cm be excessive for this? I would have thought just one or two 2mm spacers would do
> the job.
>
> ~PB

 

Thats so the top cap has room for adjustment, and doesn't bottom out on the steerer. The same effect
can be had by putting spacers on top of the tube, and leaving 3mm below the top of the top spacer.
Probably better for the steerer tube as well.

If the manufacturer asks, then I'd say do it. Yeah, 1cm may be excessive, but don't cut it down too
much. I'd say 5mm min to keep them partially happy if you need to make a warantee claim

Jon Bond

kwalters wrote:
> The instructions for my Performance road stem call for the top of the steer tube to be ~3mm below
> the top of the stem.
>
> Ken
>
> Pete Biggs wrote:
>
>
>>S. Anderson wrote:
>>
>>>"Joanna and Mike and family" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>>>On the sticker of a ritchey wcs stem, it says there should be an extra 1 cm spacer on top of the
>>>>handle bar stem. I presume this is because it is stronger to clamp the stem not at the very end
>>>>of the steerer tube?
>>>>
>>>>I have seen many bike images with no extra steerer tube above the stem. Is it really necessary
>>>>to have this extra spacer above the stem?? Does it make a difference which fork one has - e.g. I
>>>>am using a merlin carbon fork.
>>>
>>>I suspect the reason they say that is so that the stem has 100% of it's clamping force on the
>>>steerer. Because some adjustment is required, if you don't use any spacer then at least some of
>>>the stem is not clamping on the steerer, but rather, over the end. I don't think they're worried
>>>about the tube crushing so much as the reduced clamping force. However, when in doubt, if the mfg
>>>asks for it, put it in.
>>
>>Wouldn't 1cm be excessive for this? I would have thought just one or two 2mm spacers would do
>>the job.
>>
>>~PB
>
>