What is the point of the A-head stem?

[4F]

[QUOTE 1162427"]
Hmm, a dull grey no doubt. A 'sharp red' stem with a gold coloured Hope aheadset with black tyres with white trim. Class in every sense of the word.
[/quote]


Hmm I can think of a few words to describe the set up you describe but don't think it is appropriate to type these on this friendly forum

 

[mr Mag00]

i think it might be pro... prog.... prog.... oh thats it progress

 

[4F]

i think it might be pro... prog.... prog.... oh thats it progress

Fug... Fugl .... Fugly

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Is this a stem-off?


Come on you A-Heads

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Go quills!

 

[Arch]

[QUOTE 1162427"]
Hmm, a dull grey no doubt. A 'sharp red' stem with a gold coloured Hope aheadset with black tyres with white trim. Class in every sense of the word.
[/quote]

Agh, my eyes! I'm having an eighties flashback....

 

[gavintc]

Perhaps because I am relatively new to road cycling, I find the quill stems ugly and weird and much prefer the lines of the ahead stem. Beauty is very much in the eyes of the beholder. I have become very used to the modern system, it meets my requirements and is as interchangeable and amendable as I need.

 

[2Loose]

Apart from the chunky looks of ahead stems compared to quills, the main advantage that I can see (apart from an easy bar change) is not having to keep tightening the headset. Ok, a twist up by hand did the job, but it had to do the job very often in comparison to the ahead system.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Perhaps because I am relatively new to road cycling, I find the quill stems ugly and weird and much prefer the lines of the ahead stem. Beauty is very much in the eyes of the beholder. I have become very used to the modern system, it meets my requirements and is as interchangeable and amendable as I need.

Having been around for more decades than I care to remember, I agree with you. Quill stems were a pain in the arse and look pig ugly.

 

[Arch]

Having been around for more decades than I care to remember, I agree with you. Quill stems were a pain in the arse and look pig ugly.

Just goes to show. I'd say exactly the opposite. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that.

I've also never had a quill set that got loose or needed adjustment or anything. I've not used an A-head, except on the trikes at work, so I can't really compare them.

You know what? I don't care. If it works, it works. But to me, the quill is simple, and I like simple.

 

[tyred]

Another quill fan here. So much nicer looking.

I don't get this about having to adjust constantly. If you grease, adjust and then tighten the lock nut properly, the headset should remain in fine fettle for many years.

I have a 60 year old bike in the garage, I believe it to have the original headset and I was able to regrease it and adjust so that it spins freely with no play. So if something is in perfect working order 60 years after it was built, then in my book, that is a good design.

 

[4F]

is not having to keep tightening the headset. Ok, a twist up by hand did the job, but it had to do the job very often in comparison to the ahead system.

I think you headset must have been knackered, not once have I had this problem.

Quill stems were a pain in the arse .

I think you must have been sitting on your bike backwards, it is the only explanation

 

[XmisterIS]

I had an old-fashioned headset on my first mountain bike. It was crap and kept twisting out of line every time I landed a big jump.

All my current bikes have aheadsets and I much prefer them! They're very strong and certainly my mountain bike headset can take any amount of battering that I chose to give it.

I also find aheadsets far easier to set up than old-fashioned ones. When I replaced the forks on my mountain bike, it was a case of sticking two sealed races in the head tube, pushing the forks up through, slipping the top cap on, slipping the required number of spacers on, then stem, tighten it all up, done. Five minute job. Simples.

 

[2Loose]

I think you headset must have been knackered, not once have I had this problem.

It didn't have a locknut, more of a plastic lockring...

never could get it tight enough to 'lock'. Sounds like the exception rather than the rule though.

 

[2Loose]

After a nostalgic search for the stem that went with that... the old stem types looked much better than the four bolt clamped stems of today, without a doubt.