Re: All hail King Quill, was TTL: The key measurement in sizing

On Apr 29, 9:26 pm, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Andre Jute wrote:
[...]
Nah, stack height is just another parasite foisted on cyclists by the
entire racing-fashion-onesizefitsallmakeitcheaperandchargemore
paradigm and the wretched A-head stems that came with it. A
traditional quill stem can be any height, angle and extension you
require; it solves a lot of problems without even breaking sweat.

I do not always agree with JB, but he is correct here:
<http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/threadless-headset.html>.



BTW, without pretending it is a scientific measurement -- I didn't
even get the scales out --, I did once weigh an 80s Atax (I think, it
was off an early upmarket Peugeot bike) A-head stem in one hand
against the fully toollessly adjustable quill stem of my luxurious
Gazelle Toulouse (whose makers would you sue you for libel if you
called them weight weenies) -- and got a shock. The "sports" stem was
obviously heavier than the entire Gazelle adjustable assembly. It's a
crock that the A-head and its stem saves any significant weight; it's
purpose is to let manufacturers make a onesize bike, to make the
fittings more cheaply, to sell a second unit, the stem, to which a
mystique and therefore a boutique price can be attached, in other
words not for the benefit of the rider but for the glorification of
their bank accounts. I'm surprised that Tom Sherman doesn't ride the
ass of the bike manufacturers, and especially their components and
aftermarket adjuncts, every day for their greed.

Have you read me praising any of the foo foo components?

I've grown to like aheadset type headsets for exactly the reasons JB
states. When I installed a Nitto 135 last week with meticulously
wrapped Tressostar into a two bolt threadless stem, I thought--well
that looks pretty good, with a foot in the past, and one in the
present. When I took it for a test ride after building the bike up, I
hit a bump a couple miles from the house and the headset clunked--just
a matter of stopping and adjusting with the allen key in my pocket.
Good stuff, especially for those on tour.

.

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