Quill stems

[KneesUp]

No, no vomiting here. It is a great fix for a flawed system. Even if the converter now gets stuck in the steerer, at least you can still get the headset off and fork out. It works like a charm and have them on two of our bikes.

I won't be able to get the forks out though - it's a 1 1/8" converter in 1" forks :/

 

[Dogtrousers]

I like 'em. And up/down adjustment is easy, and you don't have to do violence to your steerer tube and chop it off. I'm sure YS is probably right about the mechanics, but they've never given me any trouble. And I'm not so sweaty as to drip torrents of sweat into my steerer.

 

[Pale Rider]

I've seen some apparently well-made adjustable quill stems on Dutch/hybrid bikes.

Ask Mark Cavendish to do a sprint using one and there would probably be bits of stem - and Cavendish - all over the road.

But I think quills are fine for a sit-up-and-beg bike and a rider who is unlikely to put much stress on the components.

 

[KneesUp]

I'm sure sprinters pre-date ahead stems :0

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm sure sprinters pre-date ahead stems :0

Some truth in that - and it applies to other modern bicycle bits which we now consider 'essential'.

 

[Smokin Joe]

A-Headsets are one of the best things that happened to bikes. Fit in ten minutes and then forget till the bearings need replacing a few years down the line, another 10 minute job and needing only a single Allen key. No sodding about hammering cups in, fiddly locknuts and spanners the size of a grand piano, no trying to find that razor edge sweet spot loose bearing adjustment needed, and no having to repeat the whole process again six months later because the crown race is pitted.

Quill stems stink

 

[KneesUp]

A-Headsets are one of the best things that happened to bikes. Fit in ten minutes and then forget till the bearings need replacing a few years down the line, another 10 minute job and needing only a single Allen key. No sodding about hammering cups in, fiddly locknuts and spanners the size of a grand piano, no trying to find that razor edge sweet spot loose bearing adjustment needed, and no having to repeat the whole process again six months later because the crown race is pitted.

Quill stems stink

I have cartridge bearings in my quill stem headset which made adjusting it a lot easier - but I agree re: the tools.