What is the point of the A-head stem?

[swee'pea99]

I've just been looking at this thread, which has reawakened my bafflement at the invention of the A-head stem. The quill stem always struck me as a wonderful piece of design: elegant, simple, functional. You want to raise the handlebars on a quill stem? Loosen one bolt, raise, tighten. Job done. So tell me: what is the advantage of the A-head? I just don't get it.

 

[fossyant]

You'll find Ahead sets more easy to adjust - just a nip with the pre-load, then lock off - far easier (for most) than a traditional threadded headset, even cartridge bearing ones.

The ahead stems are generally ugly, say compared to a Cinelli XA.... but they do offer increased stiffness, potentially lighter etc.

Height adjustment is a pain, but you could always get a riser stem. In my school, it's slam them low though....

 

[4F]

this thread[/url], which has reawakened my bafflement at the invention of the A-head stem. The quill stem always struck me as a wonderful piece of design: elegant, simple, functional. You want to raise the handlebars on a quill stem? Loosen one bolt, raise, tighten. Job done. So tell me: what is the advantage of the A-head? I just don't get it.

I am very old skool and all my bikes are fitted with quills mainly due to age.

I also agree that the quill is a very elegent item and the a heads come across as being fugly.

 

[Amanda P]

A-heads are easier to adjust, but it's not as if threaded headsets are difficult - generations of bike mechanics managed with them, and any mechanic (or indeed owner) needs to be able to adjust various other bearings adjusted by threads on a bike anyway.

Stiffer? Maybe - but that's largely a function of the 1 1/8" steerer, not the headset itself.

The thread in a threaded steerer tube may be a stress raiser, but that's not a worry on steel steerers. Where was the epidemic of fracturing steerer tubes that led to this "improvement"? There wasn't one.

Lighter? I'll take some convincing. Either system needs top and bottom races, balls and an adjustment system - but a threadless stem also needs a stack of spacers. A quill stem doesn't. And all that bulky, bulbous ironmongery on a threadless set-up - ugly, bulky and, I reckon, heavier than a neat quill.

For elegance of design, beauty, adjustability and adapatibility, a threaded headset and quill stem wins every time.

 

[Paulus]

A-heads are easier to adjust, but it's not as if threaded headsets are difficult - generations of bike mechanics For elegance of design, beauty, adjustability and adapatibility, a threaded headset and quill stem wins every time.

I would have to agree with you Uncle, I have just serviced my headset, and although the expander was stuck in the steerer tube I still managed to do the job in 15 minutes, and that included knocking out the expander bolt from the forks.

 

[Paulus]

User3143, I only conform to one of you 'observations', but I'm not telling you which one.

 

[Globalti]

Threaded headsets weren't easy to adjust right without the correct tools and a bit of experience. Any old skool leaver mechanic can adjust an A type with one Allen key.

 

[661-Pete]

Well, I've been both ways, just having (successfully ) disassembled and re-assembled a threadless headset onto new forks/steerer. In a previous life I've taken apart threaded headsets on numerous occasions.

I would say, the Aheadset is a big problem if you want to raise the bars and have already used up your options, but the same was true with an old quill set if you'd already raised to to the maximum 'safe' height (usually there was some sort of scoreline on the stem to warn you). Buy a longer stem? With Aheadsets you have to buy a new steerer, which generally means new forks.

The biggest problem I used to have with threaded sets was that the ball bearings were often not caged, so as you lowered the steerer they fell to the floor in a veritable hailstorm. You had to carefully collect them all, clean carefully, and keep count! Then, when putting it all together, you had to smother everything with grease, plant the balls in and hope they stayed put! The sealed bearings you get with threadless are certainly a lot easier.

Also getting stuck due to corrosion can be a big problem with quill sets - there's been a thread about this on this forum recently! The usual woes of alloy touching steel I suppose! At least it's less likely with Aheadsets.

I also think that Aheadsets are ugly. Americans, I believe, call an old quill stem a 'gooseneck' which I suppose suggests the elegance and smooth contours of the thing. Indeed you can't beat an old Cinelli stem for beauty!

 

[4F]

[QUOTE 1162416"]
Easy to adjust, change and there is more variety. People who harp on about quill stems wear straw hats, smoke pipes and no doubt where sandals with socks and talk 'about the good olden days' when I rode 150 miles with only three gears.
[/quote]


Why do you want to keep adjusting / changing them ? People who go on about quill stems have got better things to do than keep fannying around replacing a head stems because they don't like the colour etc etc . xx

 

[swee'pea99]

Indeed - what's to adjust, what's to change, and what 'variety' do you need? They just do their job, simply, effectively and in many cases (which is certainly never true of A-heads) highly aesthetically.

 

[redddraggon]

a threadless stem also needs a stack of spacers

No it doesn't. You can run without spacers unless you have the flexibility of a plank of wood.

 

[Amanda P]

No it doesn't. You can run without spacers unless you have the flexibility of a plank of wood.

Many riders find they need spacers, as they like to be able to see the scenery without straining their necks. Not everyone wants to go flat out, arse in the air, with a view only of the front tyre spinning past their noses.

On a purebred race bike, designed from the ground up to fit its rider, no spacers are necessary, I'll grant you. And then there's reality...

 

[4F]

[QUOTE 1162422"]
Because I'm a cycling tart and love colour co-ordination on a bike.
[/quote]


I do as well. My quill stem is the same colour as my wheels, brakes, crankset and mechs

 

[meenaghman]

Ahead may be constricted by height.. but if the length is wrong, then its so much easier.. with the old quill stem, its off with brake/gear levers, pull the inner cables, strip the handlebar tape, push out the bars, then replace in the new stem and re do (normally new inner cables too).. with ahead its 4 bolts (or even 2) take bars off, fit new longer stem, and re-add bars (assuming of course you have a bit of play in the brake and gear cables but most have sufficient)
I recently "swapped" my tourer threadless for ahead.. I got a threadless to ahead converter, and then a shorter stem. I sawed through the old quill stem (it was a cheapie) as I didn't want to take all the levers off. This gives me some control on the height of the stem, and control on the length of the stem/angles.

 

[simon_adams_uk]

Ahead may be constricted by height.. but if the length is wrong, then its so much easier.. with the old quill stem, its off with brake/gear levers, pull the inner cables, strip the handlebar tape, push out the bars, then replace in the new stem and re do (normally new inner cables too).. with ahead its 4 bolts (or even 2) take bars off, fit new longer stem, and re-add bars (assuming of course you have a bit of play in the brake and gear cables but most have sufficient)
I recently "swapped" my tourer threadless for ahead.. I got a threadless to ahead converter, and then a shorter stem. I sawed through the old quill stem (it was a cheapie) as I didn't want to take all the levers off. This gives me some control on the height of the stem, and control on the length of the stem/angles.

That's the worst bit about (virtually all) quill stems - the need to strip everything off one side of the handlebar to do a swap. I've yet to come across a really high quality 1" quill stem with a 2 or 4 bolt front cap - a veritable holy grail...

S