Steerer Diameter...am I over thinking
01-17-20, 09:28 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: boston, ma
Posts: 36
Bikes: Surly Cross Check, Gary Fisher Mamba, winter commuter, rigid 26" mtb
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Steerer Diameter...am I over thinking
Hey Everyone,
I just scored a 2002(3)-ish Cannondale R400 frameset off Craigslist for a song. It also came with an unexpected Cyclops SL+ Powertap (not a bad haul for $60). From the serial number the bike is 2002 - according to catalogs and pictures I can find it looks more like 2003. However; both those models list a 1 inch steerer. I measured it today with calipers and it comes out to 1.12inch (1 1/8).
It seems like I should just trust the calipers but if the specs say 1 inch- which measurement should I go with? The calipers are new but I cannot imagine they are wrong- maybe I'm measuring the steerer wrong? I measured the outside diameter of the steerer.
Thanks for the input!
I just scored a 2002(3)-ish Cannondale R400 frameset off Craigslist for a song. It also came with an unexpected Cyclops SL+ Powertap (not a bad haul for $60). From the serial number the bike is 2002 - according to catalogs and pictures I can find it looks more like 2003. However; both those models list a 1 inch steerer. I measured it today with calipers and it comes out to 1.12inch (1 1/8).
It seems like I should just trust the calipers but if the specs say 1 inch- which measurement should I go with? The calipers are new but I cannot imagine they are wrong- maybe I'm measuring the steerer wrong? I measured the outside diameter of the steerer.
Thanks for the input!
01-17-20, 09:35 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Check with a second caliper if you can but I'd believe the first one. You have a 1-1/8:" steerer. I assume it has a threadless headset and stem. Is there any diameter marking on the stem?
BTW, there are often spec changes to the actual bikes after the catalogs are printed.
BTW, there are often spec changes to the actual bikes after the catalogs are printed.
Likes For HillRider:
01-17-20, 09:36 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
Put on a stem that you know to be 1 1/8”. If it fits, it fits.
01-17-20, 09:43 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,056
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4195 Post(s)
Liked 3,837 Times
in
2,295 Posts
Threaded or threadless? Steel, Al or carbon?
That bike sounds too low a cost for my tastes... Andy
That bike sounds too low a cost for my tastes... Andy
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
01-17-20, 10:26 AM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: boston, ma
Posts: 36
Bikes: Surly Cross Check, Gary Fisher Mamba, winter commuter, rigid 26" mtb
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Thanks for the quick responses - I don't have another set of calipers but I'll throw another 11/8 fork in there and see if it fits. It is a threadless fork on an aluminum caad4 frame. Definitely lower end of Cannondale's offerings that year but I have enough pieces sitting around it should still be a fun build.
01-17-20, 10:30 AM
#6
Señor Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,066
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 649 Post(s)
Liked 292 Times
in
215 Posts
Bikepedia specs for the 2002 R400 (triple) says 1" threadless, but the picture clearly shows a quill stem with a (presumably) threaded steerer, sho who know what TF is going on there.
https://www.bikepedia.com/Quickbike/...spx?item=37097
In my experience, though, 2002-2003 was pretty late to still be using 1" steerer tubes. Threadless 1" setups were pretty short lived (late 90s - 2001 or so) and Cannondale always seemed to be at the front of trends, so having 1-1/8" would be what I would expect. Most good quality road bikes had gone to threadless integrated 1-1/8" headsets by 2003. It is also possible that Cannondale had leftover 2002 frames thatthey built up and sold as 2003 bikes, or the production run of 2003 frames started in 2002.
Anyhoo, if the OD measures 28.6 mm then it is 1-1/8. If you tried to fit a 1" stem on it you would immediately realize you were using the wrong size. There will be no ambiguity when you try to mount a stem.
https://www.bikepedia.com/Quickbike/...spx?item=37097
In my experience, though, 2002-2003 was pretty late to still be using 1" steerer tubes. Threadless 1" setups were pretty short lived (late 90s - 2001 or so) and Cannondale always seemed to be at the front of trends, so having 1-1/8" would be what I would expect. Most good quality road bikes had gone to threadless integrated 1-1/8" headsets by 2003. It is also possible that Cannondale had leftover 2002 frames thatthey built up and sold as 2003 bikes, or the production run of 2003 frames started in 2002.
Anyhoo, if the OD measures 28.6 mm then it is 1-1/8. If you tried to fit a 1" stem on it you would immediately realize you were using the wrong size. There will be no ambiguity when you try to mount a stem.
01-17-20, 10:32 AM
#7
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,523
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
Catalogs are sent out to printers well before actual production. Trust what you have in front of you rather than a catalog.
if you are curious, I’d check a 2004 catalog. Sometimes changes are made only to show up in the next years catalog
if you are curious, I’d check a 2004 catalog. Sometimes changes are made only to show up in the next years catalog
__________________
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Likes For wrk101:
01-19-20, 10:36 AM
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Posts: 148
Bikes: 1974 PX-10E sold, 1977 Witcomb stolen, 1980 Roberts 1 speed, 1987 Cyclops 3 x 6 friction triple crank, 2010 Masi Commuter 1 speed, 2017 Ribble 525 2 x 10 with Ergos
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 59 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
17 Posts
The Physics Teacher in me says: Close the calipers up completely and make sure the jaws close evenly and the scale reads 0.00. You can apply a correction of the zero is wrong, ie not 0.00, but it should not be out by more than about 0.02 inches or the calipers are abysmally bad quality or badly damaged. Then, make sure they are square to the steer tube when you measure. The steerer should be 1.00 or 1.25, there is little or no chance of it being anything else.
01-19-20, 11:38 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,056
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4195 Post(s)
Liked 3,837 Times
in
2,295 Posts
The Physics Teacher in me says: Close the calipers up completely and make sure the jaws close evenly and the scale reads 0.00. You can apply a correction of the zero is wrong, ie not 0.00, but it should not be out by more than about 0.02 inches or the calipers are abysmally bad quality or badly damaged. Then, make sure they are square to the steer tube when you measure. The steerer should be 1.00 or 1.25, there is little or no chance of it being anything else.
__________________
AndrewRStewart
AndrewRStewart
