yeah

i didnt mean to come across harsh. if you just swap out the bars and get a decent set of mtb brake levers and grips i would be ok with that.

i do think a flat bar would look much better than risers i got these for $20
http://citybikes.com/images/library/...30bar_08_m.jpg

its your choice though :)

for future reference, you have bullhorns, this is a drop bar:
http://www.probikeoutlet.com/images/3t_ergosum.jpg

Yeah, on mine, it goes horizontal for a little bit, dips, and then goes forward and rises. I don't like it at all.

Not really.
- Not having the unwrap/ungrip bars to remove them is part of the functionality of open-face stems. Most threadless stems are open face. I've only seen 2 models of quill stems that have a face plate.
- You need a special tool to thread bars through quill stems without scratching them...and they still get scratched.
- Threadless stems are flip/flop which broadens the rise/drop range when combined with steerer tube stack rings.

I agree that they suck so so hard.


Threaded is old technology. Only the FG and vintage crowds use them. The same goes for toe-clip pedals. Better moustraps have been made. I like using the modern stuff. It's cheaper and more readily available.

i don't see what the big deal is

i just buy a bunch of quill stems. swapping bars is just loosen the bolt holding on my cross lever, take off. loosen quill bolt, slide out stem and handlebars, put in new stem and handlebars.

ideally even with threadless you'd be buying different stems for your handlebars. risers have one length, drops another, and moustaches or northroads yet another. hell, i have two different style of bullhorns that i like different stem lengths with

With the exception of Nitto, quill stems are getting harder and harder to come by.

Yeah, without Nitto there are only 1,640 results on google shopping for quill stems - http://www.google.com/products?hl=en...-8&sa=N&tab=wf

Threadless headsets are stiffer, but IMHO, a threaded quill stem looks a lot nicer.

The problem with quill stems is that local shops rarely carry them. Unless you have a track boutique in your area, you are SOL and have to buy a stem online and wait a week just to see if it puts your bars where you want them. If you need another size, then you have to buy another then wait another week.

Every local bike shop in America has threadless stems of various lengths and angles to make sure you have the right size on the spot.

Bikes are like a pair of nice shoes, it doesn't matter how good the look, if they don't fit it's a pain to use them.

Quills aren't so bad, Carlton. They are sometimes convenient as height adjustment is very easy and fast. I could probably do adjustments while on saddle with one hex bolt. I agree with the fact that it takes good ol' time to get position, but then it's hard to get positions on Aheads too.

Anyways, I wouldn't deliberately take out the headset to swap over. You'll be wasting your time. If you got quills, you would probably want to keep using the quills till you break the frame or the headset to save money. Vice-versa. I would probably swap over to Ahead eventually, but quills do fine right now.

Of course what kind of stem to get is irrelevant if the OP doesn't purchase a new fork.