I just don't see this as some kind of competition. Threadless stems came about for several good reasons, and that should not be a threat to anyone. Both systems have their advantages. Not being able to find a steel road fork with a 1" threadless steer tube is a bit like not being able to find a cassette hub to fit a road bike. Makes no sense to me. Your mileage may vary. That's great. What a boring planet it would be and all that.
On Dec 23, 2:16 pm, JoelMatthews <joelmatth...@mac.com> wrote: > > 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 -- 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
