Steer tubes - any real difference in 1 1/4 vs 1 1/2?

[cribbit]

Assuming a 44mm straight headtube, would you do a steer tube that's 1 1/4 or 1 1/2, and would you go tapered or straight steer tube?

What are the headset options at that point? Straight steer 1 1/8th was easy, a headset was a headset. Now there's ZS and EC and all sorts of numbers.

[echelon_john]

Tapered 1-1/8 to 1-1/2.

Chris King Inset 7 or comparable Cane Creek.

Zero reason functionally speaking to give up the ubiquitous 28.6 stem.

[tuscanyswe]

1.250 (11/4) tapered with a chris king inset 8.

assuming we sre talking enve forks?! The smaller taper enve fork looks better than the 1.5 imo with its slimmer crown.
Also depends against what frame but if metal frame thats what id go for

[Jeff N.]

Some 44mm HT's have a "butt" at the top and bottom (Holland, Firefly) and some don't (Spectrum). For those that do, I go for the 1.125" tapered to 1.50. For those that don't, I go for the 1.125" tapered to 1.25". Just looks better. Functionally, I find no difference whatsoever.

[cribbit]

Metal frame.

I guess the question really is 1.25 vs 1.5 for the taper. It looks like the vast majority of forks are one of those two, and sticking with a 28.6 stem seems smart.

Some 44mm HT's have a "butt" at the top and bottom (Holland, Firefly) and some don't (Spectrum). For those that do, I go for the 1.125" tapered to 1.50. For those that don't, I go for the 1.125" tapered to 1.25". Just looks better. Functionally, I find no difference whatsoever.

It's a Mosaic GT-1. I think it has what you're talking about? https://i.imgur.com/SWSOWRC.jpg The seller hasn't shipped yet so sadly I can't do direct measurement.

Looking at some photos on other bikes, you're saying a 1.5" EC44 cup will look more flush with the butt, while a 1.25" EC44 cup might be inset? I'm looking at photos of other bikes online and I kind of feel the 1.5 sticks out too much no matter what, and the 1.25 ends up nicely flush. Or am I looking at this wrong?

[11.4]

With a 44 mm head tube the top is basically inset and the bottom has an external race so yes, the bottom tends to stick out more. But frankly it's not noticeable. You might as well do the 1-1/2" taper because you get a little more strength and it's the way things seem to be going. Yes, it's a bulky fork crown, but all forks are pretty bulky these days. It's the new look and it'll be the standard. If you want something different, get a bike with a fully integrated headset and flush head tube to fork connection. The flanges on the top and bottom of the head tube are partly a frame detail and partly to help maintain precision in roundness and planar surfaces, so I'd entirely consider them a plus.

I've owned a number of bikes in each possible design and haven't found many differences in functionality. With a tall bike the fatter the steer, the better -- the steer is where much of what feels like fork or bar flex actually comes from. With a short bike, with short steer, be sure you are able to taper down to the 1-1/8" diameter on the steer by the time it exits the head tube. Otherwise, just let the builder pick. How it rides is more important than the cosmetics at this level.

[cribbit]

How it rides is more important than the cosmetics at this level.

Clearly you haven't seen some of the bikes around here :)

[11.4]

Clearly you haven't seen some of the bikes around here :)

OK, let's agree on my point at least with regards to details of head tube design. There are some pretty ugly bikes on the road today but this doesn't have to uglify a bike.

[cribbit]

Looking around it seems like 1 1/2 is much more common than 1 1/4 anyways? Which kind of solves it for me.

[happycampyer]

Maybe I’m overly sensitive or just imagining things, but I find the newer forks with tapered steerers to be overly stiff for a regular road bike. Granted, if you’re riding 32mm tires it’s not really noticeable, but for regular road bikes with 25mm tires* I’ve come full circle and am back on bikes with straight 1-1/8” steerers. I still have one bike with a 1-1/8 – 1-1/4” steerer—a Pronto—but prefer the ride quality of my Legend over it.

If it’s purely a matter of aesthetics, I would get the steerer with the 1-1/8 – 1-1/4” taper, unless it’s a bigger bike.

* I know, I know, 25mm tires are unsafe at any speed...

[Jeff N.]

Metal frame.

I guess the question really is 1.25 vs 1.5 for the taper. It looks like the vast majority of forks are one of those two, and sticking with a 28.6 stem seems smart.



It's a Mosaic GT-1. I think it has what you're talking about? https://i.imgur.com/SWSOWRC.jpg The seller hasn't shipped yet so sadly I can't do direct measurement.

Looking at some photos on other bikes, you're saying a 1.5" EC44 cup will look more flush with the butt, while a 1.25" EC44 cup might be inset? I'm looking at photos of other bikes online and I kind of feel the 1.5 sticks out too much no matter what, and the 1.25 ends up nicely flush. Or am I looking at this wrong?I'm just going by what I think looks best on either head tube...butted or non-butted...but it boils down to what YOU think would look best. With what I consider to be ZERO noticeable difference performance/feel-wise, it's a coin toss. I suppose the 1.5" taper is probably more popular, overall, so that'd be a safe choice. The Enve 2.0 fork is the best I've ever ridden regardless of steerer size. THAT much I can say.

[FlashUNC]

Biggest difference is about a quarter inch.

I went tapered on my Rock Lobster with a 44 mm headtube, 1 1/2 at the bottom, just cuz. Feels stiffer and the aesthetics work a bit better with the large headtube.

But it's not night and day or anything.

[11.4]

Not an option on a second-hand frame but when you do custom, there's a tapered head tube. On the right bike it can look very nice and address the concerns you raise.

[jmoore]

Can we just skip the inevitable and go straight to 2.5" headtubes?

[cachagua]

Can we just skip the inevitable and go straight to 2.5" headtubes?

No way. 2.5" is too big. 2.3333 is the perfect balance of aerodynamics and acceleration, in a headset standard.

Edit: I was wrong, we *do* have to move to 2.5". Because only then will we realize that 2.3333 is the perfect balance.

Same way as 650B would be a historical footnote now if there had never been 29".

Bike marketing is so weird.