13
votes
Bending back a bent head tube - is it worth trying?
I personally wouldn't ride this frame. The degree of localized distortion means the steel will be work-hardened at that point and will fatigue, crack and the front of the bike will collapse under you. ...
- 75.5k
13
votes
Accepted
Bending back a bent head tube - is it worth trying?
Not to disparage any of the very knowledgeable people here, but the best you'll get from a couple of pictures on the internet is a "good guess", or maybe even an "educated guess" but in my mind that's ...
- 1,512
12
votes
Accepted
Got a new frameset, don't know why I need this split ring collar?
That looks like the compression ring for a threadless headset.
Images by keithonearth on Wikimedia Commons, reproduced under Gnu free documentation license
More information found at Sheldon Brown
- 20.7k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I raise my handlebars when there are no spacers above the stem?
One or more of the three options
Change the stem to one with an angle, with such a short stem height gain will be limited.
Replace the bars with a riser bar, these will give up to 40mm, maybe more of ...
- 49.1k
10
votes
Bending back a bent head tube - is it worth trying?
The frame has undergone plastic deformation, which took it close to failure, and there might be small points of failure hidden under the paint, for all we know. The fact that it has completely buckled ...
- 29.2k
9
votes
Bending back a bent head tube - is it worth trying?
The degree of crumpling is relatively unusual and suggests a thin walled, high strength tube selection, which also frequently goes along with handbuilt frames. The material property that is the ...
- 81.9k
9
votes
Got a new frameset, don't know why I need this split ring collar?
It is indeed a compression ring, David D’s diagram is helpful to illustrate the following:
What it does is transfer the force of the cap bolt to the inner face of the cartridge bearing. That then ...
- 12.7k
9
votes
How can I raise my handlebars when there are no spacers above the stem?
You can get another handlebar with a different value of "rise":
There are models with very high rise:
You can go to the extreme (might be very flexy, but OK for e.g. commuting):
- 14.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Can I cut the steerer tube with a pipe cutter?
A pipe cutter is an excellent tool for this application. Properly used it results in a perfect, burr free cut that is 90° to the longitudinal axis of the steer tube. The outer aspect of the cut ...
- 9,747
9
votes
Is this a sign for bearing maintenance?
I've never been in this situation, but here is my opinion. I would take the fork out, or have the store do it, and inspect things. You can check if your bearings feel gritty, which indicates wear. If ...
- 29.6k
9
votes
Accepted
About to cut my steerer tube, can I just measure the spacers and mark at that distance?
Cutting off an amount of steerer equal to the spacers you are removing is faulty logic because it makes assumptions about how good the steerer gap (that 2-3mm distance) is now. When you have spacers ...
- 81.9k
8
votes
Is my carbon fork steerer tube damaged by overtightened stem bolts
In practical terms, it's impossible to tell for sure in a case like this. It's probably fine, but there's no way of knowing absolutely via visual inspection.
The surface indentations from the stem ...
- 81.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Amount of spacers below the stem for steel 1 inch steel steerer
Common threadless steel steerers have essentially no practical limit for this in either 1" or 1-1/8". There of course is a theoretical limit, but it's going to be a very large number, way over 12"/...
- 81.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to set this fork steerer / stem higher?
This is a traditional quill stem, meaning it's shaped like a "7", with the vertical part fixed inside the steerer tube by a wedge bolt.
There should be an allen bolt at the top--it looks ...
- 29.2k
8
votes
How can I remove very stuck headset spacers (alu/carbon)
I went ahead with the rotary tool (Dremel) and general cutting disc. I cut two grooves side by side in the top spacer and prized one of them open with a flat screwdriver. Once the aluminium is thin ...
- 12.7k
8
votes
How can I raise my handlebars when there are no spacers above the stem?
You can buy a handlebar riser adaptor like this:
8
votes
Slamming my stem considerations
No, just move any spacers from below the stem to on top of it.
Don't cut the steerer in case you want to sell the bike later, or even if you change your mind later.
8
votes
Is this a sign for bearing maintenance?
I had a similar situation a few months ago. Any time it rained or the bike got wet, there ended up with brown rusty smears running out of the bottom of the headset.
Mine uses a semi-integrated headset,...
- 181
7
votes
Are stem height extenders safe to use?
This is a very good question, and one that a lot of people get wrong or approach thoughtlessly.
The answer is no, it's not significantly different in terms of safety whether your stem got where it is ...
- 81.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Straight 1⅛" steering tube is not actually straight?
Yes this is totally normal. The crown race is fitted to the base of the fork steerer with an interference fit. If the steerer didn't have a slight lip at the base, the interference fit would be all ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Which way to use a crown race removal tool?
Here is a picture of instructions for a tool similar to yours.
This picture shows putting a screwdriver in the holes to drive out the crown race.
Since yours are threaded I'd put a bolt in each hole ...
- 20.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Shallow ring of death
The video is from an internet personality who a) behaves extremely problematically, b) has no engineering training, and c) has a thing about carbon fiber.
Raoul Luescher is a much more credible source ...
- 29.6k
6
votes
Stripped thread on steerer. Who is at fault - me or LBS?
Absolutely.
If they actually put anything but a French headset on a French fork, it should be 100% on them.
Hopefully they will fess up and cover the whole thing.
Just to be clear, measuring the ...
- 81.9k
6
votes
Carbon steerer with expander plug under the stem, should I be worried?
Should you be worried, I wouldn't be. The alloy expander will stop the carbon steerer from being crushed. Remember the max torque on the stem bolts will likely be less than 6nm. (Use appropriate ...
- 3,324
6
votes
Accepted
How can I remove very stuck headset spacers (alu/carbon)
Based on Swifty's suggestion, I will make this a formal answer. In summary, I would (carefully!) use a high-speed rotary cutter to deeply incise the spacers and pry them open.
Note that it's probably ...
- 5,044
6
votes
Accepted
I've removed the steerer tube for the first time after 20,000 km, what maintenance does it need?
It looks normal. The silver ring that lifted away is the compression ring. Almost all threadless headsets have that or something like it. It has a wedge shaped outer face and a slit. It receives ...
- 81.9k
5
votes
Threadless stem keeps loosening
Possible causes:
Deformation of the steerer around the clamp area, possibly from overtorquing.
The steerer is cracking and hence lacks dimensional stability. I've seen this cause the exact issue you'...
- 81.9k
5
votes
Are stem height extenders safe to use?
I think the important question is stem length and not stem height. The largest component of the maximum force vector applied to the handlebars is force coming down from above. Minimal force is forward ...
- 51
5
votes
How much resistance should steerer have?
The steering is not supposed to have significant resistance.
Have you adjusted the preload? Set it to just tight enough that there's no play and that's the correct setting. If there's then a bit of ...
- 463
5
votes
Damaged Carbon Steerer Tube, repair/replacement?
The standard line from the carbon repair shops is they don't do forks because new ones are a lot cheaper. My understanding is that safe steerer repairs are technically possible in a lot of cases, so ...
- 81.9k
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