Quote:
Originally Posted by John H.
Not much of a difference in frame weight for ti.
The weight difference is more due to the different headset and fork.
A King Inset7 is not so light compared to a 11/8 King.
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Just to chime in on the weight gain issue: there's no getting around the fact that a 44mm head tube is going to add weight. On our bikes, here's where the differences show up:
- Head tube: our 160mm HT weighs 214g. I don't have a 1-1/8" HT of the same length handy, but I would estimate it at 150g. Gain: 64g.
- Headset: a Chris King i8 headset weighs 169g, while a 1-1/8" NoThreadset weighs 130g. Gain: 39g.
- Fork: Enve's 2.0 fork with a tapered 1-1/4" 350mm steerer weighs 368g, and the same fork with a straight steerer weighs 350g. Gain: 18g.
All told, the bigger head tube will add up to roughly 121g of extra weight on our 160mm HT example. Is it worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. The bigger head tube adds noticeable stiffness and steering precision up front, and the larger head tube also allows a larger down tube for better stiffness under power. For most riders, I would say the improved handling more than offsets the weight gain.
As for 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" tapered steerers, that's a difference in stiffness that I doubt is tangible. I've often heard people describe 1-1/2" tapered forks as harsher than 1-1/4" versions, but to be honest in my own experience I can't notice a difference that couldn't be chalked up to my imagination. With that in mind, my preference is the 1-1/4" tapered fork, mostly because the smaller lower headset race looks tidier than the 1-1/2" version. If there's a minor ride quality improvement with the 1-1/4" steerer, then that's a nice bonus.
Just my two cents!