Originally Posted by
Charles Wahl
I'd never have a bike with a threadless stem; just an aesthetic preference -- they look ugly to me. I've heard tell that the main reason for them is that one doesn't need to adjust the headset bearings every time bars or stem are changed, or height adjusted.
Other way around, really - adjusting the height requires the bearings to be adjusted, since the stem provides the bearing adjustment by pressing down, either directly or through spacers, on the top race. The benefits of threadless headsets to the owner are (in no particular order):
1. Lighter.
2. Stiffer.
3. Stems are easily swapped.
4. Easier to adjust and hold adjustment better.
The first two are really a non-issue for most of us - nice for building a light, speedy racing machine, irrelevant for practical purposes. The third benefit is kind of nice, since it can sometimes take a few tries to get a stem with the extension and rise that you want, but not a huge deal - especially since many modern quill stems have the same feature. The fourth point, though, is a huge advantage over threaded systems - I say this as a mechanic and rider. The disadvantage of having to re-adjust the bearings every time you change the handlebar height becomes fairly minor, because it is so easy to do. It's even more significant for mountain bikers and BMX riders - threadless headsets have made on-trail loosening of headsets a virtual non-issue, both because they are much less likely to loosen up in the first place and because they can be re-adjusted with a 5 or 6 mm allen wrench, rather than a bulky pair of headset wrenches.
Of course, none of these advantages mean that the threaded headset on an old bike should be replaced with a threadless headset. It's just not a big deal, especially on bikes that never see singletrack or big hits. If you're having real trouble with a threaded headset, the best solution 99% of the time is to replace it with a better threaded headset. It's definitely not worth taking the risk on a different fork.
Oh, and yes, classic '7' quill stems are much prettier than a threadless stem. That said, there are a lot of fugly quill stems out there, too.
Anyway, sorry for the hijack, but I have strong feelings about threadless headsets.
As for that bike, I wouldn't spend a lot of money upgrading it. The derailer is clearly attached by an adaptor claw, which almost certainly means stamped dropouts, which almost certainly means a fairly low-end frame. But it is a quality machine! It is definitely worth spending some money to make it a more pleasant ride, to your taste, though. Fenders, tires, aero brake levers, new brake pads and new tape are good upgrades. Clamp-on downtube shifters are also a great idea.
Enjoy your new (old) bike!