I'm going to try one more post here, but that's it - so be patient.

I'm sorry if anyone thought I was getting too personal. I don't attack people, but I do attack ideas.

Someone mentioned being tired that people blame the popularity of a system or component on the manufacturers when the component is clearly better.

I'm not going to be drawn into is one stem or headset better or worse. I use them all. For the record, I don't think any of them has a compelling benefit except in very narrowly defined circumstances.

Stiffness.... What's it all about. Several posts have tried to demonstate that its important. Well, yes, a plastic stem (form, not material) wouldn't work. But, all stems are stiff.

So, how much stiffness do you need? Or, do I need? Or, the guy down the street? We don't quantify this, and don't really know how to measure it (yes an engineer could figure it out how to measure it in a heartbeat, but I'm talking about cyclists).

No, before anyone starts slavering at their keyboard to straighten me out - consider handlebar wrap.

Most of you probably didn't ride back in the days of cotten tape. It was pretty good stuff. It was cheap, durable, came in pretty colors, gave a good grip in gloves or bare-handed, and was easy to work. The later was especially interesting. If you had a long enough roll, you could use a single piece with a figure eight around the brake hood - you didn't need a second piece to had the band clamp. Not important, but kinda cool.

"So what?" you ask. Well, today, who do you know who would consider using cotton tape. Its not cool, but there's more to it than that. People will tell you that its not comfortable on a long ride. It doesn't absorb road buzz. Using it, your hands start to tingle. So, we moved our way along to cork tapes and the other padded varieties (I like Deda). Now we're moving to putting pudding in a bag (gel) pads under our tapes. And, people are getting carbon bars to dampen shock (just as their carbon forks do).

Again, you ask "So what?" Well.... It so happens that roads were worse than today through most of the cotton tape era. But people weren't looking very hard for alternatives to cotton tape to protect their wrists. So, roads have gotten better, we've built shock-absorbing frames & forks, and now handlebars, yet we now need better padding on the handlebar.

What else has changed? An obsession with stiffness that borders on paranoia. Yeah, give me a super stiff stem and handlebar and I'm going to feel the road in my hands. We over stiff, then we have to over compensate with padding. Why? Because the marketers and magazines have told us to.

Show me the indepedent study that proves that, in real world use, its important to stiffen the frame beyond a typical 531 racing frame of the early 70's. You can't, it hasn't been done. Hell, Roche outclimbed and outsprinted the other greats on an aluminum Alan - the definition of a wet noodle.

Show me a study the proves the need for the stiffness of a oversized stem (which is stiff because of its sizing, not because it clamps to the steerer). You can't, it hasn't been done.

Can you show me annecodotal evidence of cases where there was insufficient stiffness in all or some parts of a bike. Sure, I can provide that too. But I just provided you with annecdotal evidence that most people are riding on bars and stiff that are too stiff.

You into jump bikes? A small segment, but one the MFGs need to watch 'cuz its exploding. Yeah, you need a strong stem. Better it be steel than aluminum - regardless of style. Stiffness isn't really the issue here, though, its strength.

Are you a beefy track sprinter? You do want stiffness, but a lot of them still use the quill stem, just one designed for stiffness and strength. As previously noted, these are generally steel.

But for just about everyone else, its just not an issue execpt as it relates to not being upstaged by our buddies and thus having our egos hurt. Not everyone can win at the finishline, but anyone can buy a winner of a bike.

Is it an objective statement that an Aheadstem is superior to a quill because its stiffer? No, of course not - that's a highly subjective value statement.

It's an objective statement that most Aheadstems are stiffer than most quill stems because they are of larger diameter. Whether you really need, or should want, stiffer is a different question.

Over the winter I built a carbon frame. From a bling standpoint, its pretty cool. Sloping top-tube geometry with a 56cm actual seat tube. 16.44 lbs with clincher Ksyrium SLs. Of course, I don't ride those suckers - they're too expensive - they're just to prove the point. I got it painted and built up recently, and took it out on a ride with my buds who did a double take 'cuz I'm usually on a steel frame with fenders (OhMyGod). Anyhow, as they were looking it over and talking after the ride (and asking if I could make them one), someone asked: "Now what's the advantage of carbon?" Before I could say: "It looks cool", someone interrupted and said: "It absorbs shock really well, titanium does too." Should I tell them I that tires abosorb shock, frames hold things together? What would you do?

As I said, I'm sorry if people take my remarks as personal attacks. While I stand by my words, I mean no one offense. However, the common wisdom proves itself to be wrong over and over again. And, as Barnum said: "There's a sucker born every minute." So, when I may have something to offer, I'm glad to do so.

It will be of interest to see peoples' responses. From them, it will be clear if I should continue in this manner, or spend my time in other ways. Either way, I'm not going to take it personally and I hope you don't either.