SL Tubing Question

[Jerrous]

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[Joachim]

SL as in Columbus SL? If so then no. Did you talk to your builder?

[oldpotatoe]

If a builder is using SL tubing to construct a fork and frame, is a threaded fork the natural outcome? I don't mean the preferred outcome, although a quill stem is what I prefer. I would like to know about the design standard for SL and associated measurements. Thank you.

Don't thread the fork steerer and it's thread less. No 'requirement' to make a SL steerer threaded.

[Jerrous]

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[unterhausen]

SL doesn't come with a steerer, or fork blades for that matter. You can buy SL fork blades. You can't easily thread a threadless steerer, and it's generally not considered a good idea to do so the hard way. I'm sure it has been done.

[false_Aest]

That's a great question to ask your builder.

[oldpotatoe]

So, if it hasn't been threaded, can it be? Easily?

Not easily. Need a lathe, some way to ensure the threads are parallel to the fork crown race seat.

[pdmtong]

Not easily. Need a lathe, some way to ensure the threads are parallel to the fork crown race seat.

Easier when it's a tube. Harder when it's already a fork. If you don't nail it you have a dumpster candidate

[Peter P.]

Columbus did manufacture an SL level steerer column but it was threaded at the factory. The builder typically used either an "A", "B", or "C" length steerer to most nearly match the frame size. By doing so, in building a threaded fork to length, they would not cut off too much of the threaded portion or the butted portion of the column. Too few threads and you can't thread on a headset unless you have proper threading tools. Cut off too much of the butted portion and you compromise the strength of the fork after brazing.

In practice, a builder could use a longer than necessary Columbus SL steering column and cut off all the threads, leaving a threadless steerer without compromising the strength or functionality of the fork.

A threaded fork is not necessarily the natural outcome of using a Columbus SL tubeset. At the time you ordered your frame, the builder should have asked which type of headset you'll be using. They could easily have substituted any other quality steering column to meet your needs. In case you're curious, a typical Columbus SL steering column will have the oval with the dove symbol stamped on the steerer.

[bart998]

Columbus did manufacture an SL level steerer column but it was threaded at the factory. The builder typically used either an "A", "B", or "C" length steerer to most nearly match the frame size. By doing so, in building a threaded fork to length, they would not cut off too much of the threaded portion or the butted portion of the column. Too few threads and you can't thread on a headset unless you have proper threading tools. Cut off too much of the butted portion and you compromise the strength of the fork after brazing.

In practice, a builder could use a longer than necessary Columbus SL steering column and cut off all the threads, leaving a threadless steerer without compromising the strength or functionality of the fork.

A threaded fork is not necessarily the natural outcome of using a Columbus SL tubeset. At the time you ordered your frame, the builder should have asked which type of headset you'll be using. They could easily have substituted any other quality steering column to meet your needs. In case you're curious, a typical Columbus SL steering column will have the oval with the dove symbol stamped on the steerer.

When I built a few frames in the late '70's the tube sets came with a pre-threaded steerer. You can use what ever steerer you want in practice though.

[unterhausen]

tube sets no longer come with the fork tubes. I expect that dogs and cats will lie together in the near future, because that just ain't right.

Columbus still has threaded steerers of various lengths in their catalog. Unless someone found a NOS tube set, the SL of today is nothing like the SL of yesterday except for the tube sizes. No flutes inside the steerer or dove stamps.

[JLP]

http://www.cycle-frames.com/bicycle-frame-tubing/STEERER-TUBES/

And just FYI, it's no big deal to use whatever steerer you want with the rest of that tubing...

[malcolm]

Are you having a modern bike built with SL? If so may I ask why?

[Jerrous]

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[christian]

If the bike uses a 1" threadless fork steerer and headset, the fork can be exchanged for a threaded fork if the commensurate headset change is made.

If the bike is using a 1 1/8th fork, it is threadless only. There are no (useful) 1 1/8th threaded stems or steerers or headsets.

Btw, questions like this in isolation are sort of stupid. Either ask your builder or clue us in on what you want to achieve and we can help you more broadly.

This is like asking whether your new suit is going to turn out based on how you laced your shoes.

[christian]

Btw, in this day and age, unless I had a very specific requirement, I'd have all my bikes built for 1 1/8" threadless. Lighter, needs no special tools, never worry about a frozen stem, etc.

As to whether a 1" threaded bike would be somehow different from a threadless bike, generally no. A threadless headset has a lower stack height, so the builder could make the head tube longer to compensate, but this is not generally done.

[Jerrous]

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