what stem do you have?

[Arch]

It's not, but I have had the problem in the past. Still, you're proving my point - these aren't the sort of repairs you do at the roadside.

Unless you're touring, though, you should be able to do them at home before you set off or when you get home... Something persistent like that sounds like a proper job to sort, not a roadside tinker.

 

[User482]

Unless you're touring, though, you should be able to do them at home before you set off or when you get home... Something persistent like that sounds like a proper job to sort, not a roadside tinker.

Sometimes headsets come loose mid-ride. It's happened to me in the past - mountain bikes in particular take a lot of abuse at the head tube area. It's never happened when touring, but if it did, it would necessitate a trip to the LBS instead of 5 minutes with an allen key.

Anyway, as a general point, why wouldn't you be in favour of a system that can be repaired & maintained more easily, is lighter, and has parts more readily available?

 

[Arch]

Sometimes headsets come loose mid-ride. It's happened to me in the past - mountain bikes in particular take a lot of abuse at the head tube area. It's never happened when touring, but if it did, it would necessitate a trip to the LBS instead of 5 minutes with an allen key.

Anyway, as a general point, why wouldn't you be in favour of a system that can be repaired & maintained more easily, is lighter, and has parts more readily available?

I'm non not in favour of it. I just don't happen to ever had any problem with the old alternative. But then I never ride seriously off road, it's true. Perhaps for my kind of riding, the difference is less. As I said, if I got a bike that came with it, I'd be happy enough. I just don't see anything wrong with the ones I have.

As for lighter, if I cared that much about lighter (how much, on average?), I'd eat less and have a kidney removed.

 

[GilesM]

I'm non not in favour of it. I just don't happen to ever had any problem with the old alternative. But then I never ride seriously off road, it's true. Perhaps for my kind of riding, the difference is less. As I said, if I got a bike that came with it, I'd be happy enough. I just don't see anything wrong with the ones I have.

To me the threadless stem looks better, and is easier if you have to make running headset repairs, although I have never had to. The main reason I use them is because most MTBs are designed that way, as are the best MTB forks. I rode for years with a quill stem and never had any problems.

As for lighter, if I cared that much about lighter (how much, on average?), I'd eat less and have a kidney removed.

I would suggest a good dump before a long ride, probably less risky and/or painful.

 

[Kirstie]

All A-head threadless and I've never known any different!

 

[User482]

I'm non not in favour of it. I just don't happen to ever had any problem with the old alternative. But then I never ride seriously off road, it's true. Perhaps for my kind of riding, the difference is less. As I said, if I got a bike that came with it, I'd be happy enough. I just don't see anything wrong with the ones I have.

As for lighter, if I cared that much about lighter (how much, on average?), I'd eat less and have a kidney removed.

I take your point, but aheadsets were first used on bikes where these things do matter (e.g. high performance MTBs and road bikes). That being the case, it would seem sensible to have one standard, so that shops are likely to have parts in stock, and you only have to learn how to maintain one system.

Having said that, three of my bikes have quill stems (because they're old and that's what they came with) and I'm not bothered enough to change them. I wouldn't want a new bike with one though.

 

[tyred]

I don't want a new bike full stop. I like the classic lugged steel frame and there are some things which are worth of upgrading to modern parts such as chrome to alloy wheels but I think the quill headset works perfectly well and not worth upgrading. A threadless headset would look stupid on an old steel frame anyway.

 

[fossyant]

Surely a perpetually loosening headset is a faulty headset.

Nope...poo mechanic...........heh...heh........

Don't have any issues with my 3 threaded ones, but they take a bit of time to get 100% right as you tighten the bearings up 'just' tight enough, and not too tight. Ahead is still far quicker though !

 

[fossyant]

A threadless headset would look stupid on an old steel frame anyway.

They do look rubbish with a classic frame. But get a good ahead, on a modern fat tubed bike, they look OK.

I like my Ritchey Pro stem on the new fixed.... it's fairly nice on the eyes, but ain't no looker compared to a Cinelli XA (quill) that's on the best bike.....

 

[dellzeqq]

A-head. The old quill jobs were just a complete pain in the proverbials. And Chris King ball races last for ever.

 

[Paulus]

Stem ginger?

 

[Aperitif]

Stem ginger?

He just told you!