The steerer tube doesn't fit conventional diamond frame expectations Deshi.

By the looks of it, I would say that much extra steerer tube is down right dangerous. What fork are you using on there?

^^^
Questioning from complete ignorance here, but how is too much steerer tube dangerous?

Newly Bought Giant FCR3100
 

Hi Guys,

New member here, recently just move to china and been lurking here for quite sometimes to gather info on a first "bike" for commuting.

I settled with Giant FCR3100 (still fresh out of box, not yet finish tightening all the screw :love:)

The micro floor pump is kinda cool..it's a floor pump but micro..duh :o I have read several thread about portable pump and this one will do the job just fine without killing the biceps.

Attachment 181029

The rest of the component I have no idea...I'm 175cm in height...the frame stated "M" Size for 170cm above.

Earlier, I was thinking to get a cheaper one, Forever C series..couldn't find anywhere here.

Attachment 181030

Can you provide a link that says that is dangerous or is that just "opinion" bassed largely on your visual preference and has no foundation with any verifiable enginnering proof behind your statement ?
I'm just not seeing that warning in the instructions of my Steel steer tube carbon fork I just installed.

Now a carbon steer tube I do know there is issues with putting spacers above the stem because they use an expanding plug in the tube and the stem is suppose to be lined up with that so the tube doesn't crush.
A mountain bike it may be a problem because of extra stress for that style of riding.

I just don't see it being an issue on that bike because the spacers become structural when using a top clamping headset that preloads the head set bearings. I suspect a LARGE part of that spacer is solid and it is not a stack of 10mm spacers but one spacer of about 120mm. The effective wall thickness is the thickenss of the spacer and the steer tube. The only down side I see is weight.
If you look at the design of those bikes it is a necessity to have a large spacer because of their floating beam design. You do know that beam that the seat is on is spring loaded don't you?

I asked the OP what fork he is using so that I may check manufactures specs. Most forks have a max height they recommend and deem safe. I am trying to figure out what that number is from the manufacture.

Also, you guys telling me that I am against that many spacers due to aesthetics is crap. I think that bike looks really nice actually. I am against that many spacers due to safety concerns.

Again, I am waiting on the OP now so I way due a little more research to see the manufactures recommendations. Who know's, that particular manufacture of that particular fork may deem that tall of a steerer tube safe.

That's the only Softride bike I've ever seen that has more than a couple centimeters of spacers.
http://www.google.com/images?client=...w=1187&bih=764

Soft rides are just odd and incomparable to anything else.

Your link does more to prove my point then disprove it as well as show what a weird bird softrides are

If you look you will see that most of the soft rides with threadless that are actually pictures from the owners either have a long head tube that is above the upper tube of the main frame or they are a different style frame then the Solo. There is a same model as his posted on what shows as the second page and it has an equally tall steer tube and spacer stack leading me to think it may have come factory like that.

More study of the softride pictures most of the ones set up for general riding with drop bars (not Crit or tri) have the quill stems extended as far as will go, some have dirt drop stems and almost all of the thread-less have the stem flipped for rise.

Another observation: A high percentage of the ones with little to no stacked spacers have bull horns not traditional drop bars and set were the bar height would be comparable to being in the drops.

Example http://www.kiwibikes.co.nz/road-bikes/jeffson-softride/ note how tall the head tube is.

Here is the Solo, like the posters, that has a long steer tube that they owner put and extension on and flipped the stem up. The bike already had a taller head tube making me believe that the steer tube is just as long as our posters. http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?...7&postcount=19 Fact is that bike is too small if he needed to do that (add an extension) much to make it ridable.

Another with a lot of steer tube and bull horns. http://www.running-down.com/2009/09/...-bike-800.html

Look funny...yep, Dangerous as was claimed...I don't see it.

I would also agree that your steer tube looks a bit too long. As a technician in a bike shop, I've seen several failures occur due to too long of steer tubes. My recommendation would be to find out what the manufacturer's recommendation on length is and go from there.

The bike in the link you posted has no longer of total steerer length than the OP's bike. Also, making his bike to small for him.

Direct from Thomson.

http://bikethomson.com/category/blog/

I do agree that 30mm of spacers is very small number for a max height but I do not see how what looks to be 100mm of spacers on the OP's bike can be anywhere near safe. The leverage that has been created on the steerer tube now is quite a bit more than the steerer tube was intended to be. The spacers do very little in helping stop the flex.

Still waiting on the OP to chime in with the model of fork so that I may check with the manufacture as to the safe amount of stack on their steerer tubes.

30mm of carbon steertube is the limit.

I'm not sure about steel.

either way... i wouldn't ride it.

Yes I did read that and thats a common recommendation for carbon steer tubes. Steel, as I suspect that bike has, with a long one piece spacer I think is not a problem but I will tell you this. If you image search the "Solo" model...his is unusual to have that short head tube.

Wow such a hornet's nest of a discussion. I guess armchair quarterbacking must be fun.

- The steerer tube is steel. Where the stem clamps onto is an additional shim or collar.

- The frame size is XS resulting in the short headtube.

- A more informative comparison with DF bikes would be the saddle to tube drop. Comparing geometries with a conventional diamond frame design is fruitless. Might as well compare it with recumbents...

- If you look at the seat to saddle drop, it is setup similar to a touring bike. Mine is setup to commute 40 km a day. Therefore the setup is for comfort and not all out speed. I like touring setup for visibility as I ride in traffic.

- Deshi, I am somewhat irritated at your attitude which I think could have come across more helpful. Regardless of your intent, you come off as a component-safety enforcement officer instead of a friendly forum member. ;)

I think Grim and Griddlecakes understand the Softride's design well.

My initial quote said nothing about wha you doing was wrong. I Simply said "good luck with that". No where did I say you should change it. Hell, its your bike. I would not tell you what t do with your bike. I said that "It looks downright dangerous." as it does look that way to me. Would I ride it? Not a chance. It is not my bike however and im not the one to make the call on that. Everything I have said about your supersized steerer tube is what iv read. None of this has been "my opinion" so to say.

The bike looks good with the bars that high. It looks natural. It still seems sketchy to me personally. .

I would still like to know the manufacture of the fork if you would be so kind.

Edit: You say there is a shim where the stem bolts onto the steerer. Does that mean this is a 1" steerer tube?

bicycles are things we build
when we create things with our hands, we have literally made something
so we take comments personally

heck... the other day i was talking to a guy who rode a bike without brakes

My comment was no where near personal or a hit towards him. As I have stated multiple times already, The bike looks good. There is no doubt about that.

a couple of my commuters

Asana, Love the cargo bike. Another bike in my stable is a Brodie Force built with an Xtracycle. Seems I can't have a "normal" bicycle. LOL.

a bolt-on convert is not a solid one piece frame.
Surly did its homework on this one.

Yeah the Big Dummy is an excellent cargo bike. People don't believe how intuitive it is to ride a long tail cargo until they actually try it. I'm glad to see the proliferation of all kinds of cargo bikes from Bilenky to Madsen. Its good for the biking world to have more cargo bikes.

I've had the dummy for over 2 years now, before that I had an XtraConvert, which was ok, and of course all sorts of variations of racks, panniers, trailers, etc...
this one is now 5 years old

Take a look at a Dahon folder.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2n59uo.jpg

Dahon is one of the largest folding bicycle manufacturers in the world. Together with companies who make bikes using DLT (Dahon Licensed Tecnhnology), Dahon is the largest folding bike maker in the world with engineering prowess.

If you think the steer tube on my Softride is bad, consider the Dahon. The entire portion indicated by the yellow line is hollow AND tapered. It is tapered so the handlepost can telescope in height and be secured via a quick release. At the bottom of the handlepost is a hinge which allows the handlepost to fold!

By Deshi's and Jdean4's reckoning wouldn't this be an excessively long "steerer tube" which is prone to failure? It is made of aluminum, contains a telescoping portion AND A FREAKING HINGE. There are a few million Dahons out there. All this shows is that applying conventional bike wisdom to non-traditional designs is trying to compare apples and oranges.

Nice to see you trying to prove me wrong without even providing me with the info that I kindly asked for to do the homework myself.

Also, I never said that a long steerer tube was prone to failure. Do not put words in my mouth like that. Every single folding bike I have ridden feels very "loose" and flimsy. This is including Dahons. I would not own a folder myself.

well... I tried to divert you guys on a Big Dumb tangent...

I appreciate that Asana.