Why did headsets change from 1"to 1 1/8"?

[rogerzilla]

I was talking to Mark in Argos Racing Cycles about those broken Cannondales only a fortnight ago - it was pretty widely known at the time and, of course, unrepairable. There's an excellent photo of it in John Stevenson's MTB repair book, which I'd post apart from copyright reasons (unless the mods aren't bothered).

Early 90s Kona owners know all about 1 1/8" threaded headsets. The ingenious Impact headsets (adjusted with only an allen key) get notchy despite larger 3/16" balls in the lower race and 5/32" in the top one. Luckily, a Tange 1 1/8" threaded cartridge headset is a straight swap despite the low stack height.

 

[Ian H]

The only reason I went for 1⅛" on the new bike was for ease of obtaining parts, not much apparently being manufactured for 1", at least in quality components.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I was talking to Mark in Argos Racing Cycles about those broken Cannondales only a fortnight ago - it was pretty widely known at the time and, of course, unrepairable. There's an excellent photo of it in John Stevenson's MTB repair book, which I'd post apart from copyright reasons (unless the mods aren't bothered).

Early 90s Kona owners know all about 1 1/8" threaded headsets. The ingenious Impact headsets (adjusted with only an allen key) get notchy despite larger 3/16" balls in the lower race and 5/32" in the top one. Luckily, a Tange 1 1/8" threaded cartridge headset is a straight swap despite the low stack height.

I think with proper credit to the source and for a single purpose, you're OK for fair usage of the photo.

 

[Blue Hills]

The only reason I went for 1⅛" on the new bike was for ease of obtaining parts, not much apparently being manufactured for 1", at least in quality components.

Not true.
Pretty sure you can still get tange steel 1 inch threaded headsets.
Those things put many modern bike components to shame for sheer durability.
Also very cheap.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I've had dozens of 1 inch headsets on bikes, one of bikes with a 1 inch headset has over 150,000 miles on it, and knew a LOT of people who have had these headsets and never did I see a failure, in fact 1 inch headsets were the most reliable part on a bike as long as they were kept properly lubed which wasn't very frequently. In fact I've never even seen a cheap Walmart 1 inch headset fail if it was properly maintained! Granted the Walmart jobs did require much more frequent adjusting and lubing to keep it that way but they never smashed their bearings, or had bearing indentations, the only way a 1" inch headset would suffer that is due to complete and utter poor adjustment without lube and allowed to run like that for an extended period of time.

Or if it was made by Campagnolo in the late 70's. I've seen plenty of those fail. I work in a bike co-op, and I see it from time to time in 1" headsets, but not 1 1/8, or threadless, although threadless has its own failure points.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Not true.
Pretty sure you can still get tange steel 1 inch threaded headsets.
Those things put many modern bike components to shame for sheer durability.
Also very cheap.

Not in my experience, threaded headsets were a pain in the arse. I had two high mileage bikes for seven years with the original threadless headsets in them and when I sold them they were still as smooth as when new. Neither one needed any adjustment from day one.

 

[Ian H]

Not true.
Pretty sure you can still get tange steel 1 inch threaded headsets.
Those things put many modern bike components to shame for sheer durability.
Also very cheap.

Mention of one (actually irrelevant*) item doesn't contradict my comment.

*Had I gone for inch, it wouldn't have been threaded.

 

[Blue Hills]

Mention of one (actually irrelevant*) item doesn't contradict my comment.

*Had I gone for inch, it wouldn't have been threaded.

not irrelevant at all.

It's a quality item and available - probably always will be - there may be others.

No one is forcing you to use one.

 

[Blue Hills]

Not in my experience, threaded headsets were a pain in the arse. I had two high mileage bikes for seven years with the original threadless headsets in them and when I sold them they were still as smooth as when new. Neither one needed any adjustment from day one.

Am not criticising threadless at all - I have three bikes with them - just saying that there is no mega problem with 1 inch threaded.
(though I do like it that many use loose bearings)

Find it odd that this thread seems to have become sort of zero sum contest between two camps - hell it's wahoo/garmin all over again.

Next thing war.

Next thing we discover that Putin had a hand in the online stirring of it.

 

[Ian H]

No one is forcing you to use one.

Which is just as well as it wouldn't have fitted anything I was considering, hence irrelevant. Perhaps not to you, but that's irrelevant to the point I was making.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm still seeing a majority of bikes with quill stems as well.

John resurrects a 2+ year old thread. Can't old threads be allowed to die, or at least rest and be there for reference?
@Shaun 'Similar threads' effect again.
Sheldon's early headset appraisal:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/default/assets/resources/headsets.pdf

 

[Blue Hills]

Well you've just added to it/bumped it, without adding anything.

 

[Ajax Bay]

without adding anything

With all due respect, I sourced and added the link to Sheldon Brown's article which concludes by offering a direct answer the thread title question (extract pasted below).
Since @Yellow Saddle 's June 2017 post (#6 on Page 1) provides an answer, all the rest is 'chat': beneficial chat, some of it anecdotal.

I'm not sure what you really mean by "anectodal"

Why the change to threadless design? Oversized and threadless headsets have a number of benefits, some of them to the rider, others to the manufacturer. Let’s look at the advantages of doing without threads. Oversized headsets make for stronger forks and stems. This is primarily an issue for mountain bikers, who tend to crash a lot, and need stronger parts to hold up to the stress.Threadless headsets can generally be adjusted with only a 5mm Allen wrench, while threaded headsets normally require two large, bulky open-end wrench.The 1-inch size is adequate and safe for forks with steel steerers, but oversized forks can be made with lighter materials, such as aluminum and carbon fiber, reducing weight. Even when made with the same materials, the combination of threadless fork and matching stem will generally be lighter than a threaded system, due to the elimination of the stem's quill, expander bolt and wedge. The very fine threads used on threaded steerers are tricky and expensive to make. It is substantially cheaper to make a threadless steerer. Threaded forks haveto be provided in multiple lengths to fit different frame sizes of the same model of bicycle. By contrast, threadless forks are made in only one (long) steerer length, which can easily be cut down to fit a particular frame size. This offers a reduction in the number of stock-keeping units for repair forks, and also for aftermarket forks.
The down side: The major disadvantage of threadless headsets is that there's less height adjustment available without replacing parts. While you may be able to make minor height adjustments by interchanging spacing washers, significant changes in handlebar height will require that you buy a different handlebar stem or adaptor. While traditionalists may bemoan the change, it appears that the move to threadless headsets is inexorable, since they offer so many advantages to the manufacturer - and even a few to the rider.

 

[andrew_s]

Since @Yellow Saddle 's June 2017 post (#6 on Page 1) provides an answer, all the rest is 'chat': beneficial chat, some of it anecdotal.

Not really.
He says (correctly) that 1 1/8" is better than 1" for headset life and performance, but doesn't seem to actually claim that's why the 1 1/8" size was introduced.

I reckon the 1 1/8" size was introduced as part of the change from steel frames to welded aluminium frames, which were cheaper to make (more profit) and lighter (easier to sell), and the 1" size wasn't strong enough in aluminium.
The improvement to the headset was a fringe benefit

 

[Pale Rider]

My Riese and Muller ebike has a tapered headset.

I think it's 1 1/8" at the top and 1 1/2" at the bottom.

Whatever, it's very chunky, and typically Riese and Muller/German - built to invade Poland.