Modern stems
- Thread starter Alan O
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Jody
Stubborn git
Yep. Especially if they look like some of the welds on this link
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=w...pJrUAhVoJ8AKHQZuCBIQ_AUICigB&biw=1328&bih=803
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Now pan your camera slightly to the right and show us that pile of discarded bar tape and tangled gear and brake cables that died in the cross-fire of installing that (admittedly beautiful) stem.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
In my wildest dreams I never thought I'd live the day to see weld porn but now I'm addicted.
How did you stumble on the link. Did you intend to type "weird porn" but got autocorrected?
Last edited:
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
No need to bother with that missing bolt. The weak link is elsewhere.
Jody
Stubborn git
Busted
Weld porn has been a thing for ages. There are some truly gifted welders out there.
Jody
Stubborn git
Bound to be a few on the 'net somewhere
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
You ain't kidding. I didn't even know it was a "thing" but now that it has come to my attention...
froze
Über Member
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
I like the much more graceful look of a quill stem vs the threadless design. Supposedly the threadless design has less flex, I kind of doubt that, but I'll leave it those in the know that had scientific proof. And a threadless design allows a person to remove the handlebars and install new ones easier but there were a couple of quill designs that also did that. Supposedly setting up a threadless design is easier but that I know is not true, I can adjust a quill much easier and faster than a threadless one
Jody
Stubborn git
1 allen key and approximately 30 seconds. Surely can't get much quicker and easier than that.
Jody
Stubborn git
Of course. Loosen two bolts on the stem, tweak the tension on the headset cap and re torque the stem bolts.
davidphilips
Phil Pip
- Location
- Onabike
Have to say aheads seem ok but when it comes time for new head bearings the old quill stems are the best theres just so many bearing types with the aheads different sizes and angles.
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
The trouble is the old quill set up needed new bearings in next to no time as the races became pitted in the straight ahead position leaving you with notchy steering. You also had to hammer the old races out of the tube and press them back in.
I sold two bikes at seven years old with the original A-Headset cartridges still installed and both ran smooth as silk.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
And yet, I was in the LBS this morning as the mechanic lamented at the collapsed state of the aheadset on a Cannondale and the difficulty he was having hammering the old race out, so it seems they're not immune, although maybe cartridge ones are better.
The only time so far that I've suffered notchy steering was when a Giant mechanic (in both senses FWIW
) overtightened one of my headsets after I'd done something silly and he didn't have a headset cone spanner with him. Backing it off slightly at the next LBS on the route stopped that.
