Thoughts on headset spacers

[Sjambok]

I received a bike fit on a retul bike today. Learned some good stuff today as well as got an idea of my ideal road bike dimensions. For me to fit on the bike I had in mind would require that I have 35mm (ideally 40 mm) of headset spacers. The fitter and I tried using less but it just did not result in a good position. My question to the group is does anyone have a bike with this many spacers? Do you feel your bike's handling suffers at all?

[joosttx]

your style does suffer but your handling should not if it is the right fit. it should improve handling.

[NYCfixie]

I received a bike fit on a retul bike today. Learned some good stuff today as well as got an idea of my ideal road bike dimensions. For me to fit on the bike I had in mind would require that I have 35mm (ideally 40 mm) of headset spacers. The fitter and I tried using less but it just did not result in a good position. My question to the group is does anyone have a bike with this many spacers? Do you feel your bike's handling suffers at all?

Before I went custom, I often had at least 30mm spacers under the stem and sometimes the max of 40mm (on aluminium steerer forks - remember those?). I have a strange fit so I do not care what it looks like because I just want to ride comfortably. See examples below of fits on stock bikes #1/#2 before I went full custom #3.

I was also fit by some of the best in the business:
#1 by Signature Cycles in NYC (post purchase from Lynskey)
#2 by High Gear Cyclery in NJ (post purchase from Lynskey)
#3 by Ride Studio Cafe in MA (prior to purchase from them)

These bikes are very similar. If anything, the Seven #3 is the least "aggressive fit" but I am also 10 years older than when I had #1 and post knee surgery.

#1 Lynskey Sportive (135mm HT with 40mm spacers)
https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/attachments/f11/82876d1435426901-lynskey-ti-wheels-jpg


#2 Lynskey R255 (145mm HT with 30mm spacers - picture is at weird angle which is why bars look out of whack but they are not)
https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/attachments/f11/73019d1412880012-lynskey-ti-lynskey-r255-jpg


My Custom Seven (before fork steerer was cut, removed some spacers, currently 160HT with 15mm spacers)
https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/attachments/f2/98609d1481464564-our-buddy-boyd-has-been-busy-boyd-wheels-jpg

[weaponsgrade]

Don't let handling get in the way of style - 20mm max.


On a more serious note, I recently built-up a vintage ride for Eroica. It's maybe a tad small for me and has a really short headtube. I had to put 40mm worth of spacers to get the bars where I wanted them. I took it out today for a ride and it handled just fine.

[rwsaunders]

It’s all about the fit as Houston says. Folks like ENVE recommend a max spacer of 40mm and a 5mm spacer between the top of the stem and the cap.

[nmrt]

I have been intrigued by this headset spacer issue as well. While you do not change HT angle and trail with spacers, the front end now being higher should change how the bikes front end handles/feels, no?

[dddd]

There are a good number of us who are proportionally long in the legs, so whose fit on most bikes is optimized by a generous stack of spacers.

Of course the handling will be fine if the frame angles and reach are working together for the rider's fit parameters.

Structurally, as the stack and stem length get longer and as the rider's weight goes up or the terrain becomes rougher, the steer tube may be seeing stresses it isn't designed to cope well with, and even the top headset may start making noises.

Colnago and others fit these riders well, as do the more "endurance" oriented models. I bought an Argon18 because the (used) bike I was considering featured an integrated headtube extender (see below) that allowed me to fit without more spacers than the cut steerer would accept. It seems to be a good idea and doesn't look bad to my eye, though it does add some grams for sure.

I tend to prefer short front-center dimensions that nearly have my toes hitting the tire, so achieving adequate handlebar height can be a challenge with perhaps most frames.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1801/41498156130_cb974bc456_c.jpg

[RFC]

I've long stopped stressing about slammed stems. They didn't fit me then and still don't.

[NYCfixie]

I have been intrigued by this headset spacer issue as well. While you do not change HT angle and trail with spacers, the front end now being higher should change how the bikes front end handles/feels, no?

Theoretically yes but I am not sure if it really matters. If all else stays the same, I think you are just shortening the reach (bars come up and closer) by adding spacers. It might "feel" better because it puts someone in a better position that works for them.

I think when you use a shorter - or longer - stem from your current position it can affect the lever (that is the stem) on the steering/handling feel but again I am not sure anyone wold really notice when going from a 90mm to an 80mm (or a 90mm to a 100mm). If one were to go from a 90mm to a 140mm then maybe you would feel the change assuming all else (i.e. TT length) stays the same.

I could also just be sharing nonsense....

[RFC]

I think that is a great idea!

There are a good number of us who are proportionally long in the legs, so whose fit on most bikes is optimized by a generous stack of spacers.

Of course the handling will be fine if the frame angles and reach are working together for the rider's fit parameters.

Structurally, as the stack and stem length get longer and as the rider's weight goes up or the terrain becomes rougher, the steer tube may be seeing stresses it isn't designed to cope well with, and even the top headset may start making noises.

Colnago and others fit these riders well, as do the more "endurance" oriented models. I bought an Argon18 because the (used) bike I was considering featured an integrated headtube extender (see below) that allowed me to fit without more spacers than the cut steerer would accept. It seems to be a good idea and doesn't look bad to my eye, though it does add some grams for sure.

I tend to prefer short front-center dimensions that nearly have my toes hitting the tire, so achieving adequate handlebar height can be a challenge with perhaps most frames.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1801/41498156130_cb974bc456_c.jpg

[NYCfixie]

There are a good number of us who are dis-proportionally long in the legs - or disproportionately short in the arms - so whose fit on most bikes is optimized by a generous stack of spacers.


Fixed it for you.

[pdmtong]

A cannondale synapse (endurance geometry, which means a slightly taller headtube) has an integrated headset in the headtube, 25mm cone spacer then 30mm spacers then stem then 5mm top spacer/cap. Cannondale says max spacers is 55mm (25+30)

Do you have the bike? try it with a +17d as well...

remember, if the bars is int the right place it doesn't know how it got there...

[Sjambok]

This input is helpful. It seems I really shouldn't have a problem (minus the unsightliness of the spacers).

As a side note ticycles sells a head tube extender:
https://www.ticycles.com/store-all/head-tube-extension-titanium

[Ralph]

The instructions that came with my 2015 Cannondale CAAD 10 said to NOT put a spacer on top of the stem under the top cap. And the fork tube is thin CF....much thinner than my Enve fork tube.

On my bike with Enve fork, I don't use one there any more. I am careful about TQ on the stem.

Have long since stopped setting up my bikes to have a certain look. Just don't care.

[dddd]

That reminds me, I've got a Gilco-tubed Colnago (in rough shape so no photo) with an extended headtube lug. Adds about an inch.

The Titanium bikes are good candidates for headtube extension since everything is bare metal, making the extension blend right in.

[Dave]

Stem angle can also be used to raise the bars. If you're using both, then either the frame is too small or you just can't tolerate much saddle to bar drop. How your position feels is what is important, not how it looks to some fitter.

I've got long legs and a short torso, with an 83cm cycling inseam at a height of only 5'-7".

I use a 10cm saddle to bar drop. I have one frame with 10cm of spacer and one with none and I use a -17 degree stem. I'm 65 years old.

[Ken Robb]

I once had a bike that required more spacers than I thought ideal so I went to a big wholesaler of tubing and bought a single piece of aluminum tubing to replace 4 separate spacers. This was ALMOST like getting an extended head tube.

[Peter P.]

Your spacer stack height may be limited by the fork manufacturer.

For instance, the General Installation Instructions for Enve forks states:

"The spacer stack between the top of the upper bearing and the bottom of the stem must not exceed 40 mm (this distance includes the headset dust cap or tapered spacer on top of the bearing)."

You may not be able to reach the recommended bar height depending on your fork's limitations.

Yeah; 40mm of spacers is ugly. But comfort trumps looks.

[oldpotatoe]

I received a bike fit on a retul bike today. Learned some good stuff today as well as got an idea of my ideal road bike dimensions. For me to fit on the bike I had in mind would require that I have 35mm (ideally 40 mm) of headset spacers. The fitter and I tried using less but it just did not result in a good position. My question to the group is does anyone have a bike with this many spacers? Do you feel your bike's handling suffers at all?

Every new bike we built we always did the max number of spacers under the stem(40mm) and went from there. Some bikes even required a rise stem to boot, but 40mm was the max for the (carbon) fork. As has been mentioned, 'maybe' style points but if the bike fits,better 'handling'..

[TREEfool]

I recently bought a steel gravel bike with a horizontal TT. When looking at the geonetry numbers I knew I would need a bunch of spacers but figured thats how bikes with a sloping toptube fit.

After my first few rides I realized I needed the full set of spacers AND a 45° riser stem. My bars are still lower than my seat even though this is the largest frame the company offered. Every time I throw a leg over my new bike I think, wow that looks dumb. So although you don't want to set your bike up for "style points" you also don't want to have a bike that you think looks dumb! There are so many bike options these days that you would be crazy to purchase a new bike that doesn't fit all of your criteria.

But if you want inspiration for riding a bike with too many spacers just look at Ultra Romance bikes and you can see he has like a thousand cm of spacers between all his bike bars and TT's.