Threadless headset school day

[doctor-bond]

So, after a few decades of playing with old bikes, I’m having an affair with v brakes and threadless headsets.

I’ve been led to believe that threadless headsets need a star fangled nut. And indeed, I’ve had a fling with one or two.

But my latest squeeze (c. 199 has a threadless headset without said star fangle; instead it has a locking ring on a tapered collar that snugs things up.

It’s a Diatech thingy and seems very budget, but seems to work 100% better than the star fangles I’ve used and that require about 1/60th of a turn of an M5 bolt to wrongly set the preload.

Am I tweaking, or are these a better way to go than fandangling?

 

[ishaw]

I think use did a similar thing called a Ringo starr. I think from memory you bolt the stem up and then there was a can like action that squeezed it between the headset and stem to set preload.

I must admit I prefer the hope head doctor to a star fangled nut.

 

[clubby]

Yeah, Hope head doctor or similar wedge is so much easier. Hate trying to fit SFNs. That said, never had an issue with pre fitted ones.

My Canyon road bike came with one of those tapered collars. Bleeding thing needed a tiny T5 torx key, which at least they supplied. I think the theory was it would stop you over tightening it but I was always terrified of rounding the head.

Weirdest preload was the Lefty on my first 29er. It had a one piece stem and steerer tube that preloaded under the fork crown using a HT2 bottom bracket tool. You then nipped up both crowns to hold it all in place. Never came loose, which is just as well as it would be impossible to tighten on the trail.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Star fangled nut is cheap and easy.
It needs to be the right size for the steerer - alloy or steel, and good quality. Cheap ones the nut can rotate freely in the star

It needs to be correctly set, ideally with the proper tool. It's like a headset cup - you can fit it with a piece of wood (socket) and a hammer, but you shouldn't because it won't be perfectly aligned and could cause trouble later.
Carbon usually has an expanding wedge, comparatively pita.

Those cheap expanding collar adjusters can lose accurate adjustability with use, but as(almost) always, good quality ones perform fine - it's just not obvious why you needed one, which is why you don't see them often.

A headset that needs adjustment is suspicious

 

[Imlach]

Reminds me of what you get with the Ergotec high barracuda. Tighten the stem and adjust the expanding spacer and lock it and good to go. Never had any issues.

 

[clubby]

Never had any issues.

If you need to run a stem like that, then I disagree.

 

[Imlach]

If you need to run a stem like that, then I disagree.

Big fan of them, also run the other type High Charisma. Allows me to get into that lovely upright 'sitting on the toilet' position. Bliss.