Road Cycling - 1" steerer on OCLV bikes...why?

i was just wondering why trek decided to put a 1inch headtube on their oclv bikes. i just noticed that today.

thanks

I have a 2003 Trek 5200. It has a 1 1/8" headtube. Check out the Trek site and look at the specs.

I'll assume you're referring to their Time Trial Bike...

Most likely for weight savings and the aero advantage of having a smaller headtube; but that's an assumption not a fact.

A 1 1/8" headset is -- IHMO -- overkill for 95% of the racing bikes that use them. However, from a manufacturers' standpoint, 1 1/8" headsets allowed for standardization between MTB and road bike head tube materials, stems, headsets, etc... which provides for cost savings. For something as specialized as a time trial bike, you look to shave off grams and drag at every opportunity and the head tube is a critical place.

Could be because they have lots of stock left on 1" forks and need to unload them.

That is why Shimnao still doesn't have a threadless headset (Dura Ace/Ultegra).

right. i was looking over at someone elses computer and saw that the bike was 1 inch, i hadnt caught the fact that it was a tt bike. but at first i had also assumed that it was for aeroness as well.

kinda odd, that the frame size is measued in cm, and the steerer tube is in inches... conspiricy? I think so :p

1"= 25.4mm
1 1/8" = 28.57mm

For road bikes I don't see any real disadvantage to a 1inch fork, since most manufactures of forks make 1 and 1 1/8inch for road bikes.

Mine is a 2001 5200 and it has a 1 1/8. I think some manufacturers include a shim to make it fit a 1".