Too-long steerer somehow dangerous?

[Alan Hoyle]

My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
purely cosmetic?

-alan

--
Alan Hoyle - [email protected] - http://www.alanhoyle.com/
"I don't want the world, I just want your half." -TMBG
Get Horizontal, Play Ultimate.

 

[D'ohBoy]

On Aug 6, 10:02 am, Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?
>
> -alan
>
> --
> Alan Hoyle - [email protected] - http://www.alanhoyle.com/
> "I don't want the world, I just want your half." -TMBG
> Get Horizontal, Play Ultimate.


Safer in the sense that instead of a tube sticking above your stem,
you now have a larger surface onto which you will slam your chest or
face when your crankset or bb fails (or other incident causing you to
pitch forward). Which spreads the impact. The only benefit.

And you really should leave one spacer above the stem as it makes for
a better grab by the stem as the steerer above the top bolt adds to
the rigidity of the tube below it. You will note that the top bolt,
when there is no steerer above the stem, tightens much more easily and
can lead to crushing if care isn't taken. Leaving a bit of tube above
the stem helps to prevent this.

D'ohBoy

 

[JG]

The concern is hitting the extension in an accident, but it's not a
likely outcome. If you ever want to raise the stem, you will need the
tube there.

JG

 

[[email protected]]

On Aug 6, 5:02 pm, Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?
>
> -alan
>

Mostly cosmetic, but it will provide a slightly less unpleasant place
to slam your crotch or face in the event of an unplanned dismount.

I'd never cut the steerer way down on a new bike. I'd make sure I had
plenty of time (weeks?) to trial fit the position before locking
myself into a possibly too low bar height.

Joseph

 

[Nate Knutson]

On Aug 6, 8:02 am, Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?

In addition to the impaling-yourself-on-the-steerer issue, there's
also the fact that carbon steerers have a limit to how much spacer you
can have between headset and stem. If respecting this limit precludes
ever using the additional height you could get out of the steerer
currently, that might have been part of what he was murmuring about.

 

[David L. Johnson]

Alan Hoyle wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?

The chance of hurting yourself on that (in a situation where you would
not be hurt as badly otherwise) is not worth considering. What is worth
considering is that you might want to move the bars up at some point,
and without spacers above the stem, you do not have that capability.

Don't let him cut it off.

--

David L. Johnson

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries,
and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]

 

[jim beam]

Alan Hoyle wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?
>
> -alan
>

cosmetic. leave it until absolutely sure of height preference, and that
may be months.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com]

On Aug 6, 9:02 am, Alan Hoyle <[email protected]> wrote:
> My wife just got a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 3 which has a carbon
> steerer tube. As part of the bike fit, they lowered the bar height and
> the stem has a couple of the spacers above it. The guy at the bike
> shop seemed to think that it would be better and "safer" to cut the
> steerer to eliminate the spacers. Is this true or would the change be
> purely cosmetic?
>
> -alan
>
> --
4cm of spacers under the stem is what we use on a 1 1/8 carbon fork
steerer. More than that and you risk breaking a steerer.