LexRides

allegra · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:57 am Post subject: quill vs. threadless?

I'm building up a new road/entry level track bike this summer and I'm just curious if there really is a difference when it comes to using a quill stem or a threadless stem. I've only ever ridden with a quill stem and I'm just wondering how a threadless compares. Any thoughts? What's you're preference and why?
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allegra

brokebike · cutter Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: local

First you have to consider what type your frame/steerer tube takes, because that's going to be your biggest factor. Typically, a bike will have one or the other, and the easiest thing to do is just use what the bike takes, because there's not much of a choice. You can get a threadless adapter for a threaded steerer that will allow you to accept threadless stems, but not vice versa.

Quill stems will give you the advantage of adjusting the height of your bars with a simple turning of the bolt. However, they usually don't allow you to change your handlebars easily because the bare bars have to slide through the stem clamp before you add wrap / cables / levers /etc. Quill stems are great if you're going for that classic, clean, old-school look.

Threadless stems allow for height adjustment, but it is dependent on the length of your steerer tube, and you have to add spacers either above the stem, below the stem or both to get it right. A great advantage of threadless stems is that it is much easier to switch out your handlebars because most of them allow for the entire faceplate to be removed. Some threadless stems will also either rise, or drop depending on how you insert them onto the steerer. Also, threadless systems (in my opinion) make headset adjustments a lot easier.

In short, threadless stems allow for more flexibility in your setup overall. I like them a lot, but my only real beef with them is that most of them are ugly as hell.
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mattypichu · hipster Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 52 Location: bike shop

In addition to everything that B stated, threadless is stiffer and more efficent. The options for what handle bar you use is also unlimited with a threadless set up. I second that many of them are booty looking. Quill stems have the advantage of generally being cheaper and classic, along with the ease of height adjustment.
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CHECK YES!

allegra · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:30 pm Post subject: Thanks!

Thanks so much! This has been very helpful and has definitely given me a lot more reassurance about my upcoming purchase- the KHS flite 100:
http://www.thebikebiz.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=BK%2DTRK%2DKHS01
It's coming down to that or maybe a Pake I found for realllllyyy cheap (170) at http://www.treefortbikes.com/. Wish me luck and I'll probably be asking about more advice pretty soon!
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allegra

alex · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:11 pm Post subject:

the first bike has a fork that takes a threadless stem, probably 1 1/8, i tried to find the bike on the second website, but it's such a horrible site i abandoned the search before i destroyed something
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