[zakknet]

Hi guys, I recently acquired a Kestrel bike with the intention of completely updating it and making it my daily rider.

After taking apart the headset I noticed that the steerer tube is going to be too short to fit a modern stem, as can be seen in the first pic it originally came installed with an older style cinelli stem.

I have done some googling and apparently I can fit a steerer tube extender, but I'm not sure exactly what to look for or if this is the best solution. I want to avoid having to buy another fork if at all possible.

The steerer tube itself is 175mm long (just a tad shorter than 7"), and 25.5mm (1") diameter. The headtube internal diameter is 29.5mm.

What would you say is the best solution? Besides a steerer tube extender, the top of the steerer tube is threaded so are there any stems that screw onto the steerer tube?

PS. Does anyone know the model and approximate age of this bike?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I'm getting little red x's in place of pictures, so I'm going to fly blind here.

Firstly, some terminology needs clearing up before we go any further.

1. Older style stem.

By this, do you mean a stem with a "quill" that slides down into the fork and is tightened by a bolt head on top? If so, that's a threaded stem or a quilled stem.

2. Modern stem.

By this, I assume you mean a stem that clamps around the steerer tube of the fork that extends up and out of the headset? That is called a threadless stem or an A-head stem.

There are two basic types of headset/stem/fork interface.

The older style, is where the fork steerer is threaded. The headset top race threads down those threads and is locked in place with a locknut of some sort. The treaded section sits below the locknut with no threads sticking out the top. The stem has a quill that slides into the steerer of the fork and is held in place with a wedge bolt.

The newer style has a threadless steerer. The headset bearings slide over the top, and the stem slides on top of those. The headset is preloaded by a top cap and the stem bolted in place. The steerer needs to stick out a bit from the top of the headset, like 40mm or so, to enable the stem to clamp up.

Here, take a gander at this... http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset

In this case, you can't make a threaded fork into a threadless system. You can however buy one of these doohickeys...

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/ST307E00-Dimension+Quill+Stem++Adaptor.aspx

It will allow you to keep your fork and headset and use a threadless stem. You can get these adapters in 1" quill with either a 1" or 1 1/8" stem clamping area. I'd get the latter as it opens up a lot more options for stems as there are a bazillion more 1 1/8" threadless stems than 1" threadless.

Hope that helps.

Grumps

 

[laffeaux]

The pics work for me, and Grumpy is correct. You have two options:

1) Find the correct length quill stem. Salsa and Nitto still makes quill stems, and I'm sure that others do to. Most bike shops will have a small selection of them available, and eBay often has them.

2) By a quill to threadless adapter. This will allow you to use a threadless "modern" stem.

Either option will work. If you know the stem length that you need, option 1 is the more "elegant." solution. However, if you're not sure what stem you need, option 2 may give you more options.

 

[zakknet]

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I needed to know.

So if I wanted to convert from the quill to threadless, I would need an adapter such as this ebay listing (Alloy Quill to A-Head Stem adaptor)

After I have fitted this I would then be able to fit threadless ahead stems.

I will also be replacing the headset, which will be a 1", would I be right in assuming that I would need a threaded headset which will screw onto the top of the steerer tube, and while the stem adapter will tighten up on the inside of the steerer tube it will not be holding together the fork/headtube/steerer tube assembly?

 

[cyclust]

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I needed to know.

So if I wanted to convert from the quill to threadless, I would need an adapter such as this ebay listing (Alloy Quill to A-Head Stem adaptor)

After I have fitted this I would then be able to fit threadless ahead stems.

I will also be replacing the headset, which will be a 1", would I be right in assuming that I would need a threaded headset which will screw onto the top of the steerer tube, and while the stem adapter will tighten up on the inside of the steerer tube it will not be holding together the fork/headtube/steerer tube assembly?

Yep. You'll be adding several ounce of weight by using this method, but it's by far the most economical way to go. However, it you are going to replaced the headset, it may be worth it to consider replacing the fork as well, so you can go for the now-standard threadless headset/fork set-up. BTW, based on the decal design on your Kestrel, this is one of the earlier 200's, either later 80's or early 90's

 

[Marc]

Yep. You'll be adding several ounce of weight by using this method, but it's by far the most economical way to go. However, it you are going to replaced the headset, it may be worth it to consider replacing the fork as well, so you can go for the now-standard threadless headset/fork set-up. BTW, based on the decal design on your Kestrel, this is one of the earlier 200's, either later 80's or early 90's

Problem with swapping it out, is that to get another fork which matches the frame-you'll have to get one custom painted. Which = even more money.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I'm at home now and the pics are showing (unlike my work PC). Wow! What you have there is the bike I drooled and lusted over when I was 21. You have my dream bike!

That looks like Dura Ace 7402/3 stuff. That was the first 8 speed Shimano and the first to combine the levers and shifters.

A word of warning, the cable pull on the rear derailleur is specific to those shifters, other 8 speed stuff won't play nicely if you mix'n'match.

Keep the 7402 stuff, it's damn nice and would be period correct for that frame.

Grumps

 

[wim]

2 thoughts.

- Some quill-to-threadless adapters don't give you all that much handlebar height adjustment. If you want your bars high, you may be better off with a good, long quill stem.
- I'd clamp this beautiful Kestrel by a seat post, not the top tube. But perhaps that's just me: im prone to hose down on things excessively.

 

[Mel Erickson]

Is there something wrong with the stem that's on the bike now? If not, and it's the right size for you, I'd just use it. There's nothing inherently better about threadless stems vs. quill stems. In fact, threadless stems typically give you less adjustment than quill stems. I'd skip "updating" the bike at all, save for points of contact so the bike fits you, like saddle, pedals, stem length and bars. Quill stems and bars to fit are readily available if you need to change them, but I'd stick with a quill stem if I were you. It's better for this bike.

 

[spookyload]

Here is my 200 Sci. It was a 2001, but I am thinking yours is a little older. As you can see I dropped the stock fork out and put in an aftermarket for. I used a 1" Columbus Muscle fork in mine. Worked great. It would require you swapping out the headset to a threadless headset, but that isn't that much. Personally I could live with an unpainted fork.

Here is one on Ebay that even comes with a headset. It is a reynolds ouzo pro with Cane Creek headset.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Reynolds-Ouzo-Pro-Carbon-Fork-1-x-43-235mm-C2-Cane-/230480961797?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35a9bc6105

 

[pmf]

Wow, that brings back memories. I bought a Kestrel 200 Sci back in 1993. It was the first bike I owned that had integrated brake/shift levers (Shimano Ultegra). That was a great bike. I rode it all over the place. After several years, I replaced the Ultegra components with Dura Ace.

That was in the "steel is real" days. I got a lot of sh!t for riding a plastic bike from my friends.

 

[zakknet]

Thanks for all the advice and it's so great to see what other's have done with their Kestrels. Just to let you know what I've decided to do, I'm going to stick with a quill stem but with an open face. I've just purchased a Cinelli Frog quill stem and Stronglight A9 threaded 1" headset.

 

[Mel Erickson]

If I had a bike with a 1" threadless fork this http://cgi.ebay.com/NOS-Cinelli-Alt...Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5ad697bf90 is the stem I would ride. Of course I'd have to have one of these http://cgi.ebay.com/Cinelli-Alter-P...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5b6dbd4d too!

 

[spookyload]

Holy smokes...I remember those stems. They are about the stiffest thing ever made for a bike. The pinup girls were a must.