ed 

Freakin' Fisher/Trek are gonna be using OnePointFive bottom bearings and 1 1/8" top???

What the crap for? Just use 1 1/2" on both ends.

Advantage beyond stem selection?

What say ye?

https://www.fisherbikes.com/bike/model/roscoe-iii

https://incycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=7350

dminor 

So they can be proprietary and "different." - - yeah, as in short-bus "different."

ed 

victim

I'm looking at an 09 SX trail frame and it has this "feature". I guess it's to save a few grams of weight? I wasn't going with a 1.5 fork anyway tho.

ed 

Looks like something from "Whoville".

Yet this one doesn't....hmm...frame size?

victim

They are a bit flashy aren't they. But they don't suck like most of Specialized bikes.

scrublover

meh. guess the data says most of the benefit to the 1.5 setup comes from the lower part of the steerer. speaking of with the fork, not the differences/benefits for the frame. is it needed? only in the aspect of needing to get consumers to buy the latest and greatest.

me likey the 1.5 headtube on my squishy bike - gives me the option to run 1-1/8, 1.5, or the tapered stuff if i wanted or need to down the road, all with only swapping headsets.

tapered isn't too bad, but you're locked into 1-1/8 or tapered, and any headset upgrade means you need to buy two sets to get what you need, unless headset makers begin selling tapered kits.

victim

Never realized I needed two headsets. Figured they make headsets with 1.5 bottom 1.125 top. Oh well, I think its too flashy for me anyway.

scrublover

you'd only need two headsets if wanting to run a different headset than the stock that comes with a full bike. buying a frame that comes without? two headsets. unless, as i said, makers start selling tapered headset kits.

BFG

I don't particularly see any benefit in it.

Also, why does everyone spell out OnePointFive? Instead of just writing 1.5"? The old sticker on my IH even said OnePointFive...

Cyclist30907654

It's a standard.

Dannihilator

Not all one point 5's are the same.

OnePointFive is what is common on alot of freeride,allmountain bikes.

1.5 is a Cannondale thing.

ed 

Mine is OnePointOneTwoFive

ZeCanon

The tapered thing actually started in road bikes last year, believe it or not.

Personally, I am against any sort of proprietary equipment, especially when they start designing frames that only work with their own components. Trek's press-fit BB's, the new tapered trend, specialized's dumb forks... etc etc it all drives me nuts. I want a frame that I can put whatever I want on, even if it does mean losing .0005% headtube stiffness over a tapered design.

mcoine

Not true. The cannondale manual for my rush says "the head tube accepts headshok system integration headsets, and Onepointfive 1.5 (38.1mm) headsets."

The head tubes are one in the same.. the difference with cannondale is the steerer of the headshok.. it is not 1.5.

mtnbiker66

I agree. If enough companys start making the headtubes like this then we'll most likely see some headset options for them.

DickyJ

I thought it started on the S-Works FSR, but Dicky knows nothing...

cryptid01

Specialized had it on selected mtbs last year as well.

I'm sure there is no engineering behind it and that they did it just to piss people off and steal their money.

ZeCanon

Sounds about right.

It gives them something else to focus their marketing on anyway. "our bikes, the most laterally stiff and vertically compliant ever created!"
Seriously, if Chris Hoy and his 2300 watts doesn't need a tapered headtube to sprint, all the cat-4-4-life's around certainly don't need one... I'd say the idea is better applied to the mtb side of things but again, I don't think it's worth the hassle of creating a new standard.

mcoine

With mountain bikes, I see no benefit of a tapered headtube over a 1.5 headtube. Yes, its better than 1.125, but why not just make them both 1.5.

cryptid01

Less material in both steerer tube and stem makes for weight savings.

mcoine

Thats all you weight weenies ever think about.

Camel

It also makes you more aerodynamic. I mean just look at it, it's obviously creating a less disruptive vortex. It's all about the wind.

pinkrobe

Is that wind like a watch or wind like the air? Will it deflect cow **** if I ride over on the trail, 'cause that **** is nasty.

dminor 

Definitely a concern when living out on the lonesome prairie like you do, PR .