Originally Posted by
Creme Brulee
threadless forks seem like another shortcut by designers to me. they can just mass produce one fork and then they can be cut to size for a particular frame later. i like everything a sloping toptube does for a bike except the looks... i'm still working on that. a 1 to 3 degree upslope doesn't bother me but after that its not so great, especially on bikes with drop bars. i dunno it messes up the lines of the bike somehow. mixtes i like however.
Like the sloping top tube, the threadless headset is good for everyone. As you say it cuts costs, but it also makes servicing a headset quick and easy, bearing replacements take mear minutes. You can adjust the height of the stem over a broader range (flipping the stem) and it is lighter weight and simpler with fewer things that can go wrong, Once again stiffness is a big advantage with the large sizes and the stem clamps the steer tube instead of having a skinny quill going inside. It's also much lighter. Yes it does not look vintage, but neither does a new Ferrari.
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1 Super Record bike, 1 Nuovo Record bike, 1 Pista, 1 Road, 1 Cyclocross/Allrounder, 1 MTB, 1 Touring, 1 Fixed gear