Threadless stem adaptor/conversion - opinions?

[Jon K.]

Hi!

Bike fitter I went to last year suggested a few things to improve my bike fit. Some things he did, like adjusting my saddle down and forward a bit. He also made some suggestions for things that could be improved.

Since I'm an older guy and not so flexible now, he thinks I should be sitting up a bit more, which would require a shorter stem (with maybe a taller quill) and a zero-offset seatpost. I'm not sure about the seatpost.

As far as the stem is concerned, he feels it would make more sense to replace my old Tioga quill stem with a 1-1/8" threadless adapter and a modern stem and bars. I bought a set of FSA Gossamer 40cm drop bars that are flatter above the brake levers and have less drop and reach, and I think they'll do.

The biggest question I have it about the "normal" threadless stem adapters. They work just like a quill stem - the wedge secures them into the fork as usual, but just have the bare area for the threadless stem to clamp onto. Most of them don't look too long, either, so I worry about getting the handlebars up to a level I can live with.

The headset on the bike seems fine. but I saw this online the other day. It's a threadless conversion headset - it replaces everything with a sealed-bearing headset and seems to attach to the fork with a threaded nut as well as the usual wedge. It's expensive, but bikes are expensive.

High-Quality Threadless Conversion Headsets for Vintage Bicycles | innicycle

Discover our premium threadless conversion headsets designed specifically for vintage bicycles. Go from quill stem to threadless and tastefully keep your vintage fork.

www.innicycle.com

Any opinions one way or another? Just spend $30 for a typical threadless adapter or splurge for the innicycle?

Sorry for the long-winded explanation.

Thanks!

Jon

 

[kjop]

if you're in so much 'trouble', you probably just need another bike with a geometry that is fitting to your ability.

you're on a good way to use a zero setback seat post, getting your body more in front and going over to a cockpit with shorter stem and smaller handlebar with less reach etc.

but to me it sounds more likley, that the frame size doesn't fit to your ability/mobility to reach all the necessary points in a good way for your body. but that ends maybe in not to use a cannondale frame^^ coz the steer tube is too short and you are not up enough. but when you use a fitting smaler frame to not use parts to have a fitting reach, stack etc... , you'll get more deep, coz of the shorter steer tube. and if you use a larger frame to have a longer steer tube and getting more upright, the top tube is then too long and your reach etc. is changing... a devils circuit^^ in the end, the geometry of an older cannondale frame doesn't fit to your mobility and you're maybe better adviced to check other brands with more fitting geometry instead of trying to the devil to use a frame that doesn't fit.

but just my 2 cents without having a tipp to find a quill-adapter

 

[letsbike]

Forgive the pun, but I feel your pain. I totally agree with kjop in his assessment that maybe you are riding a size frame that doesn't fit you. I too am older and have six fused vertebrae in my neck that make a more upright riding position critical to my comfort and safety. I have always thought that quill stems are far and away preferable in their adjustability. If you need a crazy stem you are on the wrong bike. To me there are just two things I need to get comfortable on a bike, saddle height and reach. If you can get adequate leg extension, reach the brake hoods comfortably, and your seat height and bar height are equal you should be fine. Everyone is different and I have always described bicycles like clothes, some just fit better than others. I think that the more you ride the more your body adapts. If you want your bike to be an extension of your body. Ride it every day. One last thought is that personally I prefer Randonneur handlebars for comfort. My current bar is from Velo Orange.

 

[kjop]

just to show the difference. both bikes are with 54 top tube & seat tube. but the stevens has a 15,5cm steer tube and the caad5 13,5cm. it's a way different feeling, when riding the stevens.

 

[letsbike]

I can see that.

 

[Brian]

I see this option if you are going to save the original fork. It might be a better option to go with a modern fork, and full threadless. If you want to keep the original fork. I would probably go with a standard adapter.

 

[Jon K.]

It's more a worry about the stability of the adapter than the sizing of the bike. I'm all weirdly-proportioned (very long torso, very short legs - 5' 10"/1.78m tall, but only a 30"/76.2cm inseam), so when I got the 'dale, the shop owner suggested a 56cm with a 120mm stem extension. At that time, the accepted wisdom was to have the stem/handlebar obscuring the front hub in riding position.

Now most of the time I'm not riding on the drops, but on the bars above the brake hoods. The flatter, shallower handlebars should help that.

The biggest thing is, the innicycle conversion headset just *looks* a lot cleaner than an adapter stuck in the current headset. Plus, the bearing pretension is adjusted by screwing the innnicycle adapter to the steerer tube threading,

 

[IdahoBrett]

I don’t know anything about threadless adaptors. But I visited the site via your link. I think it looks very good on their sample bike. Doesn’t look out of place. Kind of OEM.

If it’s a quality product and it works for you, I say go for it. Especially if it keeps you on your Cannondale.

 

[Jon K.]

Well, after the crash, I'm going to have to have the LBS assess the bike before I invest money in the innicycle conversion (or anything else). To my unpracticed eye, the frame and folk look okay, but both brakes were rubbing, the left brifter was all knocked askew, and the stem extension and front wheel are misaligned by 10-15 degrees.

If worst comes to worst, I saw a 56cm Super Six (or is that Super SLX, I can't figure it out from looking at the decals) on Craigslist for $600. Might be a bit sus, but I'll keep it in the back of my mind if the R600 isn't right.

 

[black lightning 1987]

You might be able to use the conventional threadless adapter with a rise stem to get the bar high enough. It seems to me there are some long adapters available. I would check the Nitto catalog.

 

[Jon K.]

While I was dropping off the R600 to the LBS for a checkover after the contretemps of earlier in the week, I talked to the employee who did my fitting last year and mentioned the Innicycle headset/adapter. He looked at it on the web, viewed the installation video, and seemed to be impressed.

When I went back Tuesday to pick up the bike (all is well - the only real issue was the wheels got a little out of skew, but not so badly they couldn't be trued), he said he'd watched the installation video again. He felt it was the best solution to adapting a 1" threaded fork to 1 1/8" threadless, so I think I'm gonna break down and buy one (black, of course, to match the paint) for them to install. I have an FSA Gossamer short-reach/shallow-drop handlebar that should be much better for me. I just need to find a decent 100mm threadless stem to connect the two.

Needless to say, I'm still tempted by that $600 56cm SuperSix - the paint looks like an earlyish version, maybe 2010-12 or so. I shouldn't have looked at Craigslist - someone in Fort Worth area has a 56cm blue Multisport 800 time trial/triathlon bike for sale for $300. Not sure if a 56 in the Multisport bikes fits like the similar size road bike, but since I'd toyed with the idea of doing the state Senior Games triathlon at some point....

 

[black lightning 1987]

Glad to hear that the wheels could be trued up. Shouldn't be hard to find a stem that works.

$300 sounds reasonable for the time trial bike if it's in good shape.

 

[Jon K.]

One step closer. The Innicycle threadless headset conversion arrived today. It's beautiful bit of engineering. Smaller than I thought, but sturdily-built and not too heavy.

I decided not to pull the trigger on the Multisport 800. Turns out it's not a 56, its listed as a 54/55, so I don't know exactly what that means. The seat tube on those does project well above the top tube, so maybe the measure is to the top of the seat tube, not the center/intersection with top tube.

 

[letsbike]

I'm looking forward to a picture when it's done.

 

[JohnnyD]

I'm looking forward to a picture when it's done.

I am looking forward to seeing it as well. Only wish Innicycle made them for 1 1/4 threaded forks. Thankfully I have a Nitto one for my M 700 that works great. However, the Innicycle one is a much more elegant looking solution.

 

[Jon K.]

I took some pictures of the adapter this evening. My hands are pretty shaky sometimes, so I was only able to get a couple sharp pictures. The Adapter in the middle, of course, the crown race and lower bearing cup and cartridge bearing on the left, upper cup and bearing on the right.

The other picture is the upper and lower stacked (lower at the top of the picture, with the crown race on top and upper on the bottom).

 

[JohnnyD]

I took some pictures of the adapter this evening. My hands are pretty shaky sometimes, so I was only able to get a couple sharp pictures. The Adapter in the middle, of course, the crown race and lower bearing cup and cartridge bearing on the left, upper cup and bearing on the right.

The other picture is the upper and lower stacked (lower at the top of the picture, with the crown race on top and upper on the bottom).

Thank you for the pictures. Now we just need to see it installed on your bike!
I did watch the video on how to install one of these on YouTube. Looks to be very easy to install and set the proper preload on the bearings. Sadly, they currently don't make this for us poor folks with 1-1/4″ threaded forks. However, I did shoot them a an e-mail to see if they have plans to make one. Who knows maybe they will make one sometime. Until them I am using the Nitto 1-1/4″ to 1- 1/8" quill stem adapter I have. It works fine, but I hate having to tear down the headset every 6 months to service the ball bearings in their cages. It would be so much more simple to have something like the Innicycle one and just pick up a extra set of sealed cartridge bearings and just swap them out and I can regrease them at my leisure.