Practicality of quill adapter
 

Putting aside the fact that quill stems will always be sexier than a quill stem adapter, are there any advantages? Will a quill adapter paired with 31.8 bars be any stiffer than a quill stem? Thirdly, who makes the most beautiful adapter? Pictures of your bike with quill adapters are appreciated!!!

I'm using a VO adapter and CrMo fillet brazed and lugged stem. It is noticeably stiffer than a Technomic stem, but it's not a world of difference.

http://gallery.me.com/justinhughes/1...13216263550001

I love that stem. What bar wrap is that?

I like the VO stem adaptors for looks, but I'm going to need a very tall stem for my next build (a townie type bike for my wife with bars above the saddle), so I'm going with the soma adaptor which isn't anywhere near as pretty, but is a lot taller. I like stems with removeable faceplates and play around a bit with stem lengths so adaptor + threadless stem work best for me.

Thanks, I do too. The wrap is Brooks leather in honey.

You can cover up the skinny neck of the adapters with 31.8 spacers to make it look a bit more continuous. And Colonel, is that a compass on the stem?

sweet, thought about this but didn't know for sure. Pictures of a setup like this would be great if anyone has some.

Ha, yeah. It cost about $.60 on Amazon. The stem on there is taller than the adapter clamp area by a few millimeters so I looked for something with the same diameter. A compass made a lot of sense. However, I still haven't figured out how to affix it. I reckon hot glue would work well and wouldn't be too hard to remove, but I let my hot glue gun go when I gave up bedazzling years ago. I was getting out of hand.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VdRcP6hxUf...00/logo_90.jpg

I'm not too crazy about the VO adaptor for two reasons:
~As Kernel pointed out, it's a few mm too short.
~It has this weird stopper just below the stem mount area, that prevents you from sliding your stem down flush AND protrudes between your stem and matching spacer.
http://www.calamarichris.com/junk/11...nproject04.jpg

~It's still lots prettier than the ugly, ugly Profile Design adaptor, (which I was delighted to learn recently, is NOT the only available adaptor made.)
http://www.calamarichris.com/junk/11...nproject06.jpg

So far, my preference has been for the Nitto. It's sturdy and the least-unattractive one I've found so far. Sorry I don't have a pic of it mounted on my bike.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...hL._SS500_.jpg

I have one on my Ciocc but it's a Cinelli one inch to one inch threadless adapter. It's nice from the other ones I've seen as the bolt is recessed and can use a bar end plug for a stem cap. I'm not a fan of adapters but it allowed me to use a one inch threadless Cinelli Grammo titanium stem I picked up from the same seller.
http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/...o/DSCN1619.jpg

That's cool! I think the biggest issue with adapters is that most use a 1 1/8 adapter with a 1" steerer, making it look out of place. But yours, with the 1" stem looks like it belongs on the Ciocc!

Okay, got a shot of the Nitto adaptor during lunch. It is still sticking up a little bit, and I should probably push it down a little bit, so the traction-threads/serrated surface don't show. Probably also going with a white stem instead, after the Xmas shopping is all done.
They're not as visible when you're not shooting them with the macro setting:
http://www.calamarichris.com/junk/111221-nittostem.jpg
http://www.calamarichris.com/junk/111221-nittostem1.jpg

If anyone knows of a more attractive adaptor, I'd love to know about it.

Check out the Scotch permanent adhesive squares in your local hardware store. They're just the right thickness, just the right strength. I use them to affix little $25 Formotion clocks on my motorcycles and I've never had one come off. Hard as the dickens to remove, but probably easier than heated glue. :)
http://www.findtape.com/images/produ...ng-Squares.jpg

I too am interested in hearing data or opinions about the stiffness difference between quill & adaptor.

I had a beautiful, old, original Cinelli stem on my Masi when I first built it up, but that thing was noodlier than overboiled capellini.
The Nitto Technomic which some kind soul in here recommended turned out to be the ticket, and was noticeably stiffer, despite being longer and taller than the Cinelli.
Curious to hear hard data or half-baked opinions...

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. I think Deda Elementi makes the best looking one (called Spada). I have two, and find them to blend better than the Profile or the Nitto (had both).
4.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7875839_n.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...0/IMG_0886.JPG

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._1728592_n.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5...0/IMG_0464.JPG

I have a few in use and I like them because it gives me more options for upright stem, I never like the look of the Technomic (not that a bulky threadless stem is sexxy)

one big advantage of course is you do not have to unwrap the bars to change a stem for fit.

I took a couple snaps of the quill adapter on my Peugeot PX-8 and which I got from B&L Bicycles a few months back. This stem was picked up for about $5 from the LBS out of a box of stems they had laying around and I think it looks OK and the fit seems fine for me too.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6...edb7829c_b.jpg
Peugeot Stem - 2 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6...1a5fb8b9_b.jpg
Peugeot Stem - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

The only advantage or disadvantage I see is the advantage of flipping the stem to draw the bars up and back a bit when riding my Hunq off road. That's why I chose it. The VO adapter looks ok and works fine for me.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q3wKsi4qoq...0/IMG_0702.JPG
This is the "normal" position for touring.

Marc

I want to use an FSA Omega or maybe a Ritchey compact, hence the need for 31.8 clamp. But I'm not sure threadless conversions look as good as quill. I suppose you could just point it down, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra bulk and weight, so I'm sticking with the stock Nitto for now. Seems newer bikes with slanted top tubes have stems that match its angle, but is there a consensus out there on whether the stem looks better parallel to the top tube?

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/n...BarCompAll.jpg

There are now a few manufacturers that make 26.0 compact bend bars. Here's a thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...pact-handlebar

The bottom one looks best!

My personal opinion in this matter ok?

Some threadless adapters are just cheap as hell, the only descent is the nitto, i had the longer one (nitto has 2 models) and worked just fine.

Advantages?? well is easier to swap stems if you are having problems in the fitting, is a PITA to install and remove quill stems, just not as fast as a threadless stem. Besides that I dont know if its stiffer than a quill stem, I have used both in the same bike and cant tell the difference.

Disadvantages, unless u get a 1inch to 1 inch adapter the thing will look baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddd... The bikes simply look bad IMO. The other problem is that source 1 inch threadless clamp with oversize handlebars is like hard, the other thing is that a good and nice 1 in threadless stem will cost way more than a 1 1/8 one. Cinelli has some 1 inch threadless stems that are simply fantastic but will cost more than a carbon one in 1 1/8.

Good luck

I largely agree with your thoughts on this... I like threadless stems because they are easy to swap out, but the aesthetic is nowhere near as nice as that of a quill stem atmo. I like to be able to swap bars without having to strip everything if it is possible.

I am just now installing a Deda 1" quill adapter to a small Bianchi Sport SX frame I bought for my wife who does not ride years ago. Building a bike up with parts I've accumulated. Ugly, I know with the oversized stem and the tiny handlebars, but not as ugly to her as pieces of bicycle scattered about, or as she calls them "junk."
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/PC220002.jpg

Really all depends on what your trying to do. I have lower back issues and like my bars up a good bit. The VO adaptor with the flared shoulder looks great for that. I have one on my wifes XO-2 and one in reserve.
If you are wanting to get it flush to the headset then there are many adapters out there without the shoulder.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...1&d=1245285220