Moved from 110-100 stem safety advice please

[lampchair]

troc said:

It’s perfectly ok to run the preload cap up against the stem. I think the perceived need to a spacer above the stem comes from road racing and carbon steerer tubes but in the mtb world it’s pretty common to only have spacers below the stem.

You do only need 2-3 mm of gap to enable a good preload, 5 m’m is unnecessary imho.

I'd go with this.

I don't get why that collar is there and there are also soo many spacers! Looks like someone bought some new forks and didn't have a hacksaw

That weird clampy-spacer thing isn't on the Triban 500's currently for sale.

Edited by lampchair on Friday 21st February 15:12

[Kawasicki]

The clamp above the upper bearing cap is offensive to my engineering and aesthetic sensibilities.

Be gone with it.

[GOATever]

Your Dad said:

It's designed and sold like that, see my previous post.

It’s a Triban 500, I’ve never seen one set up like that, it certainly isn’t “designed” like that. I have worked out what’s happened there though. The top cap that sits above the top headset bearing is not the correct one, it should be a 20 mm, that’s a 9 mm you have there. The seat post clamp ( which is what that clamp actually is ) is there in place of the proper top cap. It’s a bad bodge, but not ‘unsafe’. Personally I would either get a 20mm top cap, or cut the steerer down a bit.



If you look closely the correct top cap is conical.

Edited by GOATever on Friday 21st February 16:57

[GOATever]

Kawasicki said:

The clamp above the upper bearing cap is offensive to my engineering and aesthetic sensibilities.

Be gone with it.

It’s in place of the correct height top cap, it’s a terrible bodge 1/10 ( I know a thing or 2 about bodges)

[Birdster]

Hi All,

Really do appreciate all the replies and can see split opinions. I’ve not ridden it since apart from down the road after fitting. I tried to find more information and see that it’s like this on a press bike if you go through the photos. I can’t seem to upload a photo at the moment.

https://road.cc/content/review/116333-btwin-triban...

Edited by Birdster on Monday 24th February 10:42

[Birdster]

GOATever said:

Your Dad said:

It's designed and sold like that, see my previous post.

It’s a Triban 500, I’ve never seen one set up like that, it certainly isn’t “designed” like that. I have worked out what’s happened there though. The top cap that sits above the top headset bearing is not the correct one, it should be a 20 mm, that’s a 9 mm you have there. The seat post clamp ( which is what that clamp actually is ) is there in place of the proper top cap. It’s a bad bodge, but not ‘unsafe’. Personally I would either get a 20mm top cap, or cut the steerer down a bit.



If you look closely the correct top cap is conical.

Edited by GOATever on Friday 21st February 16:57

This is the older 500SE linked to the review above. First time fitting this stuff and followed the unbuilding and building back up by taking photos and tightening to correct amounts etc but it’s just thrown me from looking at the Trek. However the Road CC review bikes the same I think.

[Birdster]

JEA1K said:

Just a thought but would suggest flipping your stem so you can use less spacers ... you should still be able to achieve a similar position to your other bike.

Thanks mighty give that a try.

[lufbramatt]

google image search "Triban 500" shows loads of them with the steerer clamp. I've seen it on hybrid bikes before, it's not a bike shop bodge. Probably to make the bikes easier to assemble in store.

[GOATever]

“ There are no unwelcome shortcuts in the finishing detail ”. There is on that one.

[GOATever]

lufbramatt said:

google image search "Triban 500" shows loads of them with the steerer clamp. I've seen it on hybrid bikes before, it's not a bike shop bodge. Probably to make the bikes easier to assemble in store.

Possibly. I know mine certainly wasn’t set up with the seatpost clamp on it, and I don’t personally recall seeing any that have. Interestingly, when I did order my first replacement headset for it, I had trouble finding the FSA full bearing and bits kit, with the high rise top cap, in stock at the usual on line retailers I tend to use, and nearly had to resort to a bodge involving something that wasn’t actually a proper stem spacer. Fortunately a LBS near me had a spare knocking around.

[lufbramatt]

Appears they use them on the Rockrider mountain bikes too. Guess it's so they can set the headset preload in the factory then the shop staff just have to twist the handlebars straight and tighten the stem.

Near where i work is the end of a coastal cycle path so I often see some right weird and wonderful bar+stem setups on hybrid bikes- steerer tube extenders, adjustable stems raised right up or facing backwards, back to front bar ends- older people trying to save their backs I guess. That's why I've noticed these.

[GOATever]

lufbramatt said:

Appears they use them on the Rockrider mountain bikes too. Guess it's so they can set the headset preload in the factory then the shop staff just have to twist the handlebars straight and tighten the stem.

That sounds like a fair explanation. Personally, the first thing I’d do is get rid of the errant seat post clamp, but that’s a bit of OCD creeping in.