What advantages are there if I convert my 1999 Trek road bike to a threadless fork/stem system? Is it lighter? Lower maintenance? I know its old school, but I guess I want to look hip.
Perhaps the greatest advantage is that it allows for a carbon steerer tube. Having a composite steerer can really help reduce vibration and improve comfort.
You’ll need to use a stem with some upward “rise” due to the much lower “stack” height of the threadless set up.
It is lighter, but not pounds. Go with a Ritchey WCS headset with a lifetime warranty or a Chris King if you are not on a budget, either one will never need to be serviced (for 10 years or so)
Enjoy,
SD
A little bit lighter, And it is nice to have the stems with the removable face plate which normally aren’t on quill stems…
BUT
You are going to shell out some serious dough for not much of an advantage.
300 - for a good carbon steerer fork
100 - new headset
50 - new stem
40 - installation
For close to 500 dollars you could spend it on something that would really give you a performance advantage… like a disc wheel, A professional fit, some shoes, and pedals, etc.
500 would also get you a used frame and fork, often with a headset… swap the parts and voila
I like the fact that with a quill stem you can change the vertical dimension very easily, while you have to get a whole new stem many times with threadless.
If you really want the threadless stems you could always get a quill adaptor, but I don’t know why you would want to do this…
I personally don’t think it’s worth the money
I wouldn’t do it. My original TCR was fitted with a ‘twister’ adjustable quill stem and external headset with a stack height of about 25mm. I bought a new TCR frame (the same size) with internal headset and threadless carbon steerer, not really thinking about the length of the head tube. The result is that I now have to use a stem with a lot of rise as I can’t use a big stack of spacers on the carbon steerer. This looks as good as a moustache on the Mona Lisa. Also, the lock-nut fits inside a fancy expanding do-dad supposedly designed for use with carbon steerers. This works loose continually and has an aggravation factor something akin to small rodent with extremely pointy teeth stuffed down your shorts for the duration of a century ride. Threadless headsets? WTF needs them???
If it’s not broke don’t fix it.If you need to replace any part of the system and you like your bike,then join the rest of us in the year 2003.tThis is a far superior system to threaded headsets. Cullen