tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post7954633872153672511..comments2024-03-18T10:19:55.782-04:00Comments on The Velo ORANGE Blog: Sad Headset NewsVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-54622519914330544732010-09-14T12:51:46.299-04:002010-09-14T12:51:46.299-04:00Old thread, but does anyone have any x14 top nuts?...Old thread, but does anyone have any x14 top nuts? I broke mine.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12267304401166969604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-34828201453790398052008-04-05T11:39:00.000-04:002008-04-05T11:39:00.000-04:00A shame to see one less choice available, but inev...A shame to see one less choice available, but inevitable when so many new bikes are not using threaded headsets(except custom, I suppose.)<BR/><BR/>That said, I probably won't build another bike with a threaded headset. I like the possibility of S&S frame couplers to enable packing for travel, and a threadless setup is so much easier to drop the fork from than a threaded, not needing the big wrenches for disassembly and re-assembly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-11802638951531580522008-03-05T07:05:00.000-05:002008-03-05T07:05:00.000-05:00FSA makes a decent 1" threaded alloy headset in po...FSA makes a decent 1" threaded alloy headset in polished silver, with scant branding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-29143660502693406672008-03-05T01:24:00.000-05:002008-03-05T01:24:00.000-05:00why would anyone that doesn't love threaded headse...why would anyone that doesn't love threaded headsets be looking at VO?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-3865948146110802912008-03-04T11:21:00.000-05:002008-03-04T11:21:00.000-05:00I only have threaded headsets on my bikes: a Campa...I only have threaded headsets on my bikes: a Campagnolo Chorus on my Kogswell P58 and a Shimano XTR on my Mariposa. <BR/><BR/>For me it is about aesthetics. I think one can make an ahead stem and spacers work just as well for height but it simply doesn't look as good as the "reverse 7" of a quill stem, IMO.<BR/><BR/>At one point I was actually trying to convert a Bilenky from threadless to threaded (do-able with a Chris King conversion kit and threading of the fork) but in the end sold the frame in order to afford the Mariposa,<BR/><BR/>Even with the demise of the Stronglight A9, I don't think that we are all that short of threaded headset options yet and one certainly doesn't have to pony up $125 for a Chris King. <BR/><BR/>Riv sells an Ultegra for $65, a pricier but high quality Ritchey WCS for $75 and an inexpensive $35 aluminum Tange Levin. The basic Tange Levin, NOS Shimano STX and Ritchey Logic are all around $20 from internet dealers and the Shimano 105 at $40. Running counter to trend, Interloc has just introduced a very high quality Tange-made "Techno-Glide" threaded headset for $80.Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03205326636138161213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-20048437855069065992008-03-03T10:02:00.000-05:002008-03-03T10:02:00.000-05:00"I'm really turned off by having someone's name ta..."I'm really turned off by having someone's name tattooed all over my bike.."<BR/><BR/>Chris King sold a threaded, no-logo headset in the past - I had one of these headsets on a Rivendell. Some here remember the early mountain bike days when purple-anodized components were all the craze. Thankfully that trend passed. While I find the billboard-look of most modern bicycles to be less appealing, others like it. Styles and trends change, good design hangs around. Both Tange Levin and Chris King headsets hang around for a reason - they function beautifully and last, and they serve different price points for the consumer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-66858542295373109112008-03-03T08:51:00.000-05:002008-03-03T08:51:00.000-05:00Ron said:OK, Joel et al, you have me re-thinking t...Ron said:<BR/><I>OK, Joel et al, you have me re-thinking the threaded/threadless idea again. I'm back to leaning toward threaded for my rando rig. You're right; I don't ever recall a threaded headset/steerer every go out of adjustment on me, and I do like to change up bar height.</I><BR/><BR/>I have a threadless on my Kogswell P/R and threaded on everything else. The only headset I've ever had come out of adjustment -- and repeatedly -- is the threadless on the Kogswell.<BR/><BR/>Sure, it's easy to adjust it, and all you need is an allen wrench, but if threadless is so perfect, why is this the <I>only</I> headset I've ever need to keep readjusting?<BR/><BR/>--sfpAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-41888974131514300002008-03-03T01:18:00.000-05:002008-03-03T01:18:00.000-05:00OK, Joel et al, you have me re-thinking the thread...OK, Joel et al, you have me re-thinking the threaded/threadless idea again. I'm back to leaning toward threaded for my rando rig. You're right; I don't ever recall a threaded headset/steerer every go out of adjustment on me, and I do like to change up bar height.RMHampelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583240793927828726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-59381192160016154452008-03-02T23:17:00.000-05:002008-03-02T23:17:00.000-05:00I was suckered on a threadless set up on the last ...I was suckered on a threadless set up on the last bike I bought. Never again. I respect the steel Tange, but am disappointed I have not been able to locate a Delta, though I've managed to get an A-9. It sounds like the Chris Kings are top-notch, though overpriced. I'm really turned off by having someone's name tattooed all over my bike, though. What I think is really clever about the Stronglights is that replacement bearings include the races!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-85784309469598167282008-03-02T22:46:00.000-05:002008-03-02T22:46:00.000-05:00This thread prompted me to finally carry out a pro...This thread prompted me to finally carry out a project I'd been meaning to get around to: polishing up my Stronglight Delta headset, which is bound for my VO Randonneur when it's ready. <BR/><BR/>My attachment to road bikes is every bit as aesthetic as it is functional. Indeed, I find it hard to separate form and function in bicycles. Bikes need to be sleek and minimalist to be fast, and I like the look of road bikes for their sleek minimalism. (A carbon road bike might <I>be</I> faster than a steel one, but to me it doesn't <I>look</I> faster — it looks neither sleek nor minimalist.)<BR/><BR/>Something about a forged stem in a threaded headset embodies the sleek minimalism of road bikes, for me. It's possibly my favourite component from an aesthetic point of view. It holds the most characteristic road-bike component (the drop bars) on to the frame, it's shiny, it has nice, flowing lines, and it's what you hold on to when you walk your bike. I also like the look of the wrench flats on a threaded headset: it complements the industrial-revolution, Bauhaus-esque aesthetic of the sleekly minimalist road bike in the same way that a TA Pro 5 Vis crankset does.<BR/><BR/>Cinelli or Singer stems are, I think, very beautiful. And for headsets, Stronglight Deltas are the nicest. And with some polishing, they look even better! I was really pleased with how this turned out...<BR/><BR/>http://tinyurl.com/29kuucAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-36615071591235567252008-03-02T21:45:00.000-05:002008-03-02T21:45:00.000-05:00It's often interesting to watch the push-pull betw...It's often interesting to watch the push-pull between form and function. Much of what I like on an elegant road bike is just a matter of taste, but then it does matter. The industrial looking stems on my mountain bikes look just fine on there, but they are straighforward designs with no chi chi cred at all. I do keep hoping the Robocop look goes away before it infects road bikes. It's probably too late.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-36577238611751506932008-03-02T16:47:00.000-05:002008-03-02T16:47:00.000-05:00I'll give you that.Not surprisingly, threadless we...I'll give you that.<BR/><BR/>Not surprisingly, threadless were originally developed for mountain bikes and foisted on road bikes more, in my opinion anyone, for the convenience of the big bike manufacturers than because they were a better choice for the road.<BR/><BR/>But then we are discussing this on the Velo-Orange site, where you most likely will never be offered a mountain bike with 6" travel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-82323642772574357992008-03-02T10:21:00.000-05:002008-03-02T10:21:00.000-05:00Actually, I greatly enjoy having a choice. My road...Actually, I greatly enjoy having a choice. My road bikes have quill stems, mountain bikes have threadless, which seems obviously superior for the use to me. A one-inch threaded steer tube on a six-inch travel fork would be downright dangerous.<BR/><BR/>It also greatly pleases me to know that no one can force their hidebound opinions on me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-16218006416164026942008-03-02T09:23:00.000-05:002008-03-02T09:23:00.000-05:00It's kind of weird that this has turned into a thr...It's kind of weird that this has turned into a threadless vs. threaded debate. Are threaded headsets really going away? It seems like there are still quite a few on the market. <BR/><BR/>What we are losing, though, are components (such as the A9) that do not use cartridge bearings. I don't know of any loose bearing bottom brackets still in production, and loose bearing headsets and hubs both seem to be on their way out.<BR/><BR/>I like cartridge bearings as much as the next guy, but it's nice to have a choice. If you live someplace very cold (as I do), serviceable bearings are nice because they're easy to winterize. A sealed BB, in real cold, feels like a spindle stuck in a jar of peanut butter. Of course it doesn't matter as much to have a headset stiffen up, but it's nicer when they don't. <BR/><BR/>Also, loose bearings are fun.Ian Dicksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14721391514711042385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-52764637029137910502008-03-02T07:59:00.000-05:002008-03-02T07:59:00.000-05:00"I think that's a little extreme. Threaded headset..."I think that's a little extreme. Threaded headsets and quill stems are not getting any more plentiful, but they are still being made. They have their place, and I think it will be a long time before they are extinct."<BR/><BR/>Actually, as should be obvious from my earlier posts in this thread, my sabre tooth tiger comparison is wtih threadless stems.<BR/><BR/>Threaded stems are wonderfully versatile.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-66143999265330070092008-03-02T01:59:00.000-05:002008-03-02T01:59:00.000-05:00On most lugged steel road bikes, I think a quill s...On most lugged steel road bikes, I think a quill stem looks considerably better than a threadless one. I've never had a threaded headset come out of adjustment on any of my road bikes, and I like being able to raise and lower the stem quickly and easily to experiment with different positions. I may keep the bars slightly higher than the seat for a few months, then try it a little lower than the seat for a while and wind up enjoying it that way. Then later I may go back to higher bars for a while and enjoy them just as much. That's just how I am.<BR/>However, I DO NOT like threaded headsets and stems on a mountain bike, and I can also see how they may not be ideal for a loaded touring bike with a lot of weight on the front. I have a KHS mtb with a 1" threaded headset and the flex is noticeable and actually rather scary in gnarly situations. I also have to admit that if I were a racer or even rode fast/hard very often, I'd probably choose threadless. But that's not how I ride so I just go with what I think looks best and gives me lots of adjustment options. I think both designs have their place and I wouldn't want either to disappear from the market.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-10049356352785263662008-03-01T21:58:00.000-05:002008-03-01T21:58:00.000-05:00"Indeed evolution carries on. But sometimes, as wi..."Indeed evolution carries on. But sometimes, as with the Sabre Tooth Tiger, evolution walks into an over specialized dead end."<BR/><BR/>I think that's a little extreme. Threaded headsets and quill stems are not getting any more plentiful, but they are still being made. They have their place, and I think it will be a long time before they are extinct.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-48963375004677969502008-03-01T21:12:00.000-05:002008-03-01T21:12:00.000-05:00The big adjustments are fantastic and the stem des...The big adjustments are fantastic and the stem designs for the threaded system range from simple to downright delicious. It isn't that unusual to come across 1" stems that are artful expressions of their own. They are like little scupltures that help steer the bike and look great at the same time. It's another element in the bicycle to apreciate and with proper care they are as reliable as the threadless system. Different folks restore and enjoy cassic cars, tractors, motorcycles, etc.. I would like to think that the readers of this blog enjoy the beauty of classic bicycles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-61681081195958235072008-03-01T16:15:00.000-05:002008-03-01T16:15:00.000-05:00Indeed evolution carries on. But sometimes, as wi...Indeed evolution carries on. But sometimes, as with the Sabre Tooth Tiger, evolution walks into an over specialized dead end.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-52987306926336570182008-03-01T10:02:00.000-05:002008-03-01T10:02:00.000-05:00Evolution continues, whether we like it or not.--K...Evolution continues, whether we like it or not.<BR/><BR/>--Kansas NativeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-54924919480728576672008-02-29T20:49:00.000-05:002008-02-29T20:49:00.000-05:00C: For someone like me, who is thin and only uses ...C: For someone like me, who is thin and only uses King Headsets, Brandt's 10 ring pretty hollow.<BR/><BR/>King threaded are just as available as threadless, are as durable as anything made. Indeed, the only threadless your going to find as good as a King threaded is - well - the King threadless.<BR/><BR/>And, as I said above, I do like to make big changes in bar height and position depending on what I am doing with the bike. Threadless is not anywhere near as adjustable.<BR/><BR/>I had a threadless (King Ti) and gave it to a relative who rides occasionally and did not need to worry about adjustment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-8293861963400708522008-02-29T20:42:00.000-05:002008-02-29T20:42:00.000-05:00Thanks "c" for the information. I may have to reco...Thanks "c" for the information. I may have to reconsider using a threaded steerer on my next bike.<BR/><BR/>RonRMHampelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583240793927828726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-41477429538461752432008-02-29T19:45:00.000-05:002008-02-29T19:45:00.000-05:00C,Nice find. I was about to point out Jobst Brand...C,<BR/><BR/>Nice find. I was about to point out Jobst Brandt's article, but you beat me to it. Both Jobst and Sheldon are stalwarts of simplicity (and sometimes old-fashionedness), but they both say threadless systems (check out Sheldon's article on the disadvantages of the "7" shaped stems vs. threadless) are an improvement over threaded designs. This is one case where they both say newer is actually better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-52188827558662151262008-02-29T18:16:00.000-05:002008-02-29T18:16:00.000-05:00Sorry for the unintentional post.-Sorry for the unintentional post.-Gunnar Berghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17451985764040900726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-81825463660492701982008-02-29T18:15:00.000-05:002008-02-29T18:15:00.000-05:00lornagberg@gmail.comlornagberg@gmail.comGunnar Berghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17451985764040900726noreply@blogger.com