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12-22-01, 05:15 PM
For those of you who frequent both sites, I posted this on Ridemonkey too since there's a lot of mountain bikers (esp downhillers) on that site. I wanted you guys to hear my rant too.
First off, the conversion will be a big hassle. Throw your existing frames, headsets and stems in the garbage. Oh, and forks too if the crown is not a bolt-on. I suppose a lot of people change bikes every year so it won't affect them, but a lot more people don't and this is going to create huge problems. I strongly suspect that this is a merciless cash-grab in an industry that has perhaps run out of ideas for the next new thing. Ok, before you think I am completely opposed to the objective of a stronger head tube junction let me just say that I'm not.
I think most people agree that a stronger steerer tube/headtube junction is a good, even nessessary, thing. So why not simply make the tubing thicker? There is no limitation on the potential thickness of the head tube or the steerer tube - unless you were using threaded headsets with quill-type stems of course, but that doesn't apply to real MTBs. All that would have to be changed is the diameter of the star-fangled nut.
And before anyone points this out, yes, I know that increasing the diameter of the tubing is generally a more productive way to gain strength and stiffness than increasing the thickness (ie less mass for a given strength or more strength for a given mass). However, considering how large the changeover to a different headset diameter is, would it not be a worthwhile tradeoff? (especially for DH/DJ frames) How much extra weight are talking about anyway considering this would only require extra material on a fairly small % of the overall tubing of the frame and fork? Besides, this would allow the manufacturers to only beef up frames/forks designed for heavy-duty purposes, XC frames could remain as they are.
I have no problem with the idea of increasing the depth of headset cups but there is no reason this can't be done with the 1-1/8" standard.
I think I'm going to buy shares in companies that manufacture reducer cups.
First off, the conversion will be a big hassle. Throw your existing frames, headsets and stems in the garbage. Oh, and forks too if the crown is not a bolt-on. I suppose a lot of people change bikes every year so it won't affect them, but a lot more people don't and this is going to create huge problems. I strongly suspect that this is a merciless cash-grab in an industry that has perhaps run out of ideas for the next new thing. Ok, before you think I am completely opposed to the objective of a stronger head tube junction let me just say that I'm not.
I think most people agree that a stronger steerer tube/headtube junction is a good, even nessessary, thing. So why not simply make the tubing thicker? There is no limitation on the potential thickness of the head tube or the steerer tube - unless you were using threaded headsets with quill-type stems of course, but that doesn't apply to real MTBs. All that would have to be changed is the diameter of the star-fangled nut.
And before anyone points this out, yes, I know that increasing the diameter of the tubing is generally a more productive way to gain strength and stiffness than increasing the thickness (ie less mass for a given strength or more strength for a given mass). However, considering how large the changeover to a different headset diameter is, would it not be a worthwhile tradeoff? (especially for DH/DJ frames) How much extra weight are talking about anyway considering this would only require extra material on a fairly small % of the overall tubing of the frame and fork? Besides, this would allow the manufacturers to only beef up frames/forks designed for heavy-duty purposes, XC frames could remain as they are.
I have no problem with the idea of increasing the depth of headset cups but there is no reason this can't be done with the 1-1/8" standard.
I think I'm going to buy shares in companies that manufacture reducer cups.