Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Right, every man and his dog runs starnuts. I recently fitted a headlock to my bike, and I've got to say the front end feels a lot more stiff, is this all in my mind or is there something about the fact it's clamped from the bottom of the steerer that makes a difference? Makes me feel so much more confident with it, although I was using it for gains I actually feel it's really worth the slight weight penalty for people who are more bothered about being sub 9kg or whatever silly figure it is these days. Edited May 17, 2014 by Jake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Leigh Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 i'd say headlock really, been on a skye and just feels different but better for me. one thing is, anyone actually know how they work? the skye pro forks have a screw in top cap but is that it? and how do you nip it up n stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Loosen the stem's steerer clamp bolts, tighten the top cap up, tighten the stem bolts back up? Essentially it's no different to a starnut/top cap setup. Both of them use a bolt into a threaded section in the fork, it's just that one's tapped into the steerer tube itself and the other has to be inserted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ Leigh Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 ahh right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Spot on mark, shouldn't the fact it's clamped from the bottom with a steel bar/bolt running through make it stiffer? Or if anything help prevent it snapping right at the bottom of the headset... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Spot on mark, shouldn't the fact it's clamped from the bottom with a steel bar/bolt running through make it stiffer? Or if anything help prevent it snapping right at the bottom of the headset... No Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 I wouldn't have thought it would really make any difference to the feel of the forks or whatever - it's only really an M6 bolt going through the middle of it which I wouldn't have thought would have been enough to make a difference. All it's really doing is just preloading your headset before you tighten your stem up, and that's all a star nut does too. Once your stem's tightened up that's what's taking the load. For example, when I rode BMX I broke a top cap and had to borrow a friend's one to tighten my headset up. Once it was tight I could take the top cap out and give it back and just ride without a top cap in - my headset didn't come loose because there were some M6 bolts holding shit together. There wasn't any difference in feel or anything either. Like Josh mentioned in a different thread a good thing about headlocks is that if you snap your steerer tube it'll (hopefully) stop your fork legs/crown disappearing off into the sunset, but that's about it as far as performance advantages go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hmm interesting, I'll just have to wait and find out then. I'm convinced there's less flex with it, and have heard your forks don't die as quickly from hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hmm interesting, I'll just have to wait and find out then. I'm convinced there's less flex with it, and have heard your forks don't die as quickly from hooks. Where are you hearing all this? it's just a threaded stick that goes on the bottom of your fork steerer, there's nothing more to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*gentlydoesit Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 So the tention/tortion argument of say reinforced concrete has no bearing here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 George the "stopper" goes a little lower than that, can't remember who it was but I'm sure I read it helped make hooks less flexy around the base of the fork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 How would it though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Because there would be less of a pressure point in the bit between the crown and the top bit of the forks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*gentlydoesit Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Imo the steerer takes the tortion, the bolt takes the tention. I'd think it'll be stronger. Also looking at the illustration, the highest load point will be the steerer. If you imagine that as a bent bar that your trying to straighten, the middle bit will bend first Edited May 17, 2014 by *gentlydoesit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thank you haha, finally someone who makes some sense of it. There's no forces trying to pull the steerer up, which could cause creaks and small movements bit with a head lock it's taking all the tension from the fork and stops any small movements in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trials hoe Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 surely the whole of the steerer tube would be under 'compression' with a headlock vs the 'tension' of using a star nut no? not a whole lot obviously and I'd doubt it'd be enough to make anyrhing feel different, more likely it's the placebo effect of the thinking you front end can't fall apart should snappage happen I'm not a fan of starnuts, threaded steerer or headlocks are much preferable for me sorry Jake I'm so shit I've still not posted those forks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake. Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Ahh get on it! Need them for tartydays x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*gentlydoesit Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 surely the whole of the steerer tube would be under 'compression' with a headlock vs the 'tension' of using a star nut no? not a whole lot obviously and I'd doubt it'd be enough to make anyrhing feel different, more likely it's the placebo effect of the thinking you front end can't fall apart should snappage happen I'm not a fan of starnuts, threaded steerer or headlocks are much preferable for me sorry Jake I'm so shit I've still not posted those forks Seriously, if you put a bit of all thread down a bar and tighten it up the bar is stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bing Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 I've got threaded forks, standard onza genesis ones with the screw in top cap. Seems like a good system. Can't comment on stiffness, only rode it for 10 mins so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTTY___ Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 I've got threaded forks, standard onza genesis ones with the screw in top cap. Seems like a good system. Can't comment on stiffness, only rode it for 10 mins so far No difference to be honest dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamKidney Posted May 19, 2014 Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 The only time you're ever going to notice a difference in front end flex is down to the components you use. Like my old 24", my neon forks felt reallyyy flexy, and the Bonz forks I replaced them with felt miles better. Combine with a stiff frame etc... That's where you'd feel a difference, not through the system you use to preload your headset bearings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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