Many smaller headset spacers not as good as fewer large spacers?

[Veloo]

In line today for a pickup at the LBS, the person in front of me was picking up his bike. Among the things done, the mechanic changed his headset spacers from many thin spacers to two larger spacers.

From what I could see, it looked like the bike now had two 1" thick spacers.

The mechanic said something about have lots of thin spacers was a weaker set up. Or something along those lines.

Thought I'd trow it up here and see what the collective thinks.

[weaponsgrade]

For me, the biggest reason for the large spacers is aesthetics as the spacers are mainly there for preload.

[RoosterCogset]

2 x 1" spacers? IOW, probably 5cms of spacers. Sounds like a lot in any case. I guess I'd want larger spacers too if I had that much space to fill. since most spacers are typically 5mm, otherwise it would have been 10 of these?

[unterhausen]

I make myself larger spacers. When I'm working on a customer's bike I put 10mm spacers on.

Which reminds me, I move my stem down on my road bike.

[Ken Robb]

I had a custom spacer made from aluminum tubing when I replaced and OUZO Pro all carbon fork with an OUZO Comp with aluminum steerer because I was going to a longer steerer and I thought one solid spacer would be less likely to flex than a stack of 5 or 10mm spacers. It seemed to work just fine.

[charliedid]

You guys use spacers?

[Mark McM]

I don't know about fewer spacers being stronger, but they will probably maintain bearing alignment better. The faces of spacers will won't be perfectly flat, so the interface between spacers will never be a perfect rigid junction. The more interfaces there are in a stack of spacers, the more room for there will be for slop and misalignment. A single solid spacer will hold tolerances better than a stack of thin spacers. How much better? Well, a small handful of spacers probably won't be a problem, but you probably wouldn't want a dozen or more separate spacers.

[wallymann]

#slamthatstem #htfu ;-)

Originally Posted by charliedid

You guys use spacers?

[robt57]

Originally Posted by charliedid

You guys use spacers?

Originally Posted by wallymann

#slamthatstem #htfu ;-)

Bazinga!

[duff_duffy]

I add about 1mm spacer per year. I’m like an old tree adding a ring a year. As you get older they don’t look as bad. Never had a problem with 1 big one or many small ones, always worked fine.

Originally Posted by charliedid

You guys use spacers?

[reuben]

What'z a spacer?

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by duff_duffy

I add about 1mm spacer per year. I’m like an old tree adding a ring a year. As you get older they don’t look as bad. Never had a problem with 1 big one or many small ones, always worked fine.

I was of course being mildly sarcastic.

Whatever fits....my Emonda has a tall-ish head tube (integrated HS) and 170mm for a size 56. I could still ride that bike with a 150mm head tube but I'd have 20mm of spacers.

[charliedid]

[QUOTE=reuben;2924454]What'z a spacer?

:-)

[Ewiser]

Originally Posted by reuben

What'z a spacer?

This whole spacer tech now days is so ugly.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Ewiser

This whole spacer tech now days is so ugly.

Careful

Bikes as fashion accessories is a slippery slope indeed!