> Of course there are as many opinions here as there are contributors as > to what is an improvement and what is simply something different. If > you like things just like they were in '81 or so, I am delighted that > you can find all the stuff to keep your bikes the way you want them.
I do not know if that is all that fair a comment with stems. I am certain the modern Nitto stems are made to higher tolerances, lighter, and more durable than anything made in '81. Cassettes are easier to install, maintain, adjust cogs and more durable than freewheels. It would be very hard to say the same with threadless versus threaded stems. Cutting a steerer tube is a more work than installing a threaded head set. Maintenance on both is about the same. Adjustments are a tie. Even if you leave some extra room on the the steerer tube, playing puzzle maker with the spacers is a royal pain in the neck. The open face plate on threadless is nice if you switch bars a lot. I do not think threadless are more durable than threaded. If a tie is the best 27 going on 28 years of technical improvement can do, heaven help us. On Dec 23, 2:48 pm, Atlantean <softlysoftlycatcheemon...@gmail.com> wrote: > Please keep in mind that no one here has said they thought Riv should > abandon threaded forks; only that for those of us who could derive a > benefit from it (real or imagined), it would be great to have the > option of a threadless setup. Either as an option on a new Riv, or > from some aftermarket manufacturer somewhere. Such an option does not > seem to exist anywhere this side of a custom fork. > > I can't see any advantage for me in going to a 650b wheel bike, for > any reason, but you know what? I think 650b is great and I'm glad > Grant pushed for it. If someone else finds something magical in that > size that I can't see, I am happy for them. Even better if it actually > does work better for normal size people. I don't know and don't really > care because it is irrelevant to me. If I go to a bigger wheeled > mountain bike, it will likely be a 29er dually, which work just fine, > at least in my size. > > Of course there are as many opinions here as there are contributors as > to what is an improvement and what is simply something different. If > you like things just like they were in '81 or so, I am delighted that > you can find all the stuff to keep your bikes the way you want them. I > have a couple dozen good freewheels and I sell one or two on eBay from > time to time, so it works for me, too. :) > > On Dec 23, 1:21 pm, "Frederick, Steve" <frede...@mail.lib.msu.edu> > wrote: > > > > > I believe that it's not recommended to clamp threadless stems on threaded > > steerers. Stress risers, catastrophic failure, that sort of thing. > > > Really, the 1" threaded setup is nearly as ubiquitous to Rivendell as > > lugs--there are plenty plenty of bikes out there to choose from if the > > quill stem's a deal breaker for you. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com > > > [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com]on Behalf Of Invisible > > Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 3:14 PM > > To: RBW Owners Bunch > > Subject: [RBW] Re: Sam Hillborne geometry is up at RBW site! > > > Unless I'm missing something, there's no need to cut the threaded > > portion off. One possible hiccup would be if the uppermost race > > couldn't be slid into place over the threads, but I think that's > > unlikely. The stem will then clamp quite happily over the threads. > > > In order to keep the geometry as designed, I think it would be best to > > use the frame's original fork - but to get one that was not yet cut to > > length for a threaded setup. Do they arrive at RBW HQ already cut? > > > -Wesley > > > On Dec 23, 6:30 am, Atlantean <softlysoftlycatcheemon...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > Cutting the threaded part off works just fine, if the steerer is long > > > enough. In the case of my fixie, I did find a few threadless forks on > > > eBay and such some time back, but I was having trouble even finding a > > > new threadless steerer that's long enough for a 25" frame. Typical > > > 9/8" threadless mountain bike forks come with 265mm steer tubes, but > > > 275 would work a lot better for me. Maybe when the hipsters all move > > > on to unicycles, I'll ride my fixie more, and it will seem worthwhile > > > to pay for the modification. The fork on the Merckx is a wild looking > > > thing with "aero" styled blades brazed into a custom crown, so I'd > > > like to keep it. Maybe I'll just get a chomoly stem that's the right > > > size and angle and clamp diameter. That's probably harder to find than > > > a threadless steel road fork. > > > > Hmmm. I wonder if Grant would sell a Legolas fork separately? Or are > > > they "oversized" as well as threadless? > > > > Is this question any less sensible than the whole 650b industry? Or > > > anything else we obsess about around here? I don't think so. Surely > > > it's more productive than yet another discussion of trail. > > > > On Dec 23, 7:39 am, "Frederick, Steve" <frede...@mail.lib.msu.edu> > > > wrote: > > > > > Perhaps a bit off the wall, but couldn't you buy a threaded fork with a > > > > too long steerer and cut the threaded bit off? > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com > > > > > [mailto:rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com]on Behalf Of Atlantean > > > > Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 12:02 AM > > > > To: RBW Owners Bunch > > > > Subject: [RBW] Re: Sam Hillborne geometry is up at RBW site! > > > > > From what I have seen, one-inch threadless forks of any description > > > > are pretty scarce. I have one bike in particular that I'd like to > > > > switch to threadless, but I haven't run across anything suitable. New > > > > uncut one inch threadless steel forks tend to be generic and the > > > > tubing is usually not specified. I looked into having the steer tube > > > > replaced, and like a lot of things it is fairly easy to have done but > > > > not cheap. It's not that big a deal on this particular bike, a Merckx > > > > I've converted to fixed, but I would like a stiffer front end. Out of > > > > the saddle mashing up a hill makes the M bar pretty floppy, even on an > > > > 80mm Dirt Drop all the way down in the fork. The Dirt Drops are great > > > > stems; the stiffest aluminum quill stems I've found. > > > > > I think it would be cool to have the option of threadless on a new > > > > Riv, kind of like the custom color option. Nickel plated fillet brazed > > > > or lugged stems would look really good on a Riv with a threadless > > > > setup. But then lots of things would be cool. > > > > > On Dec 22, 9:39 pm, CycloFiend <cyclofi...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > > > > on 12/22/08 7:19 PM, CycloFiend at cyclofi...@earthlink.net wrote: > > > > > > > on 12/22/08 6:49 PM, JoelMatthews at joelmatth...@mac.com replied > > > > > > to: > > > > > > >>> lBut I don't want to start an argument over this, I just want to > > > > > >>> know whether I can get an Rivendell sells uncut forks for use > > > > > >>> with a > > > > > >>> 1" threadless headset - and if so, how long is the steerer. > > > > > > > with: > > > > > >> Grant could probably have Noblilette make you a threadless fork > > > > > >> custom. It would cost you no doubt - kind of defeating the > > > > > >> purpose of > > > > > >> getting a Hillborne. You would probably be better off asking if > > > > > >> there > > > > > >> is a Hillborne frame without a fork (I suppose one might break > > > > > >> during > > > > > >> the voyage from Taiwan) and just buy a steel threadless fork from > > > > > >> Ben's Cycles or such outlet. > > > > > > > Actually, it may be simpler to order an appropriate threadless fork > > > > > > at the > > > > > > same time. The steerer tube is just set into the fork crown, and it > > > > > > could be > > > > > > just a matter of getting an unthreaded tube put in. That way, you > > > > > > have the > > > > > > dimension of fork blades that the bicycle was designed for. > > > > > > sorry - wasn't quite clear in this post. > > > > > > I meant that if you knew that's what you wanted, it would make sense > > > > > to try > > > > > to see if you could order it now, while the frames are being built. > > > > > > If there's a possibility, it's best pursued now while orders are > > > > > being put > > > > > together and finalized. I'd give 'em a call over at RBWHQ&L. > > > > > > - J > > > > > > -- > > > > > Jim Edgar > > > > > cyclofi...@earthlink.net > > > > > > Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries -http://www.cyclofiend.com > > > > > Current Classics - Cross Bikes > > > > > Singlespeed - Working Bikes > > > > > > Send In Your Photos! - Here's how:http://www.cyclofiend.com/guidelines > > > > > > "'You both ride your bike?' He held his hands out and grabbed > > > > > imaginary > > > > > handlebars, grinning indulgently, eyeing Tom's helmet. Double > > > > > disbeleif: > > > > > not one, but two grown Americans riding bicycles." > > > > > -- Neal Stephenson, "Zodiac"- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
