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Interesting question. 44mm head tubes and tapered forks are stiffer, but weigh more than traditional skinnier headtubes.
For carbon, it's not a big deal because the bikes are so light anyway and it's easy for the big manufacturers to use less ply in the carbon layups to compensate for the additional weight.
Steel and Ti bikes take a big weight gain with 44mm headtubes and tapered steerers. Especially steel bikes where the only tapered steel steerer a custom builder can get easily is made by Paragon and it is HEAVY! Definitely overbuilt. Plus, steel and Ti 44mm headtubes weigh more than traditional skinny headtubes.
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