Quick Headset Question

[Jasper]

OK - quick headset question for the bike nerds. I got a set of salsa woodchippers for my mountain bike. I put on a riser stem and a bunch of spacers to get them up to where they need to be but the result is there isn't a whole lot of steer tube to play with. The tube is about at the halfway point of the top bolt in the stem. I was still able to get everything tensioned up - the top cap bolt reaches the star nut... but will this big gap between the top of the steer tube and cap be an issue? I always try to keep about 1/8 inch or so gap between the steer tube and headset cap so this was never a question before.

Thanks!
Jasper

[mntlion]

um can you post pictures of what you are talking about?

as long as the stems pinch bolts are below the top of the steer tube, you should be fine. (but I'm not sure if this is what you are asking)

[Skipig25]

sounds like you should be fine if I understand correctly. The steer tube is held by both bolts of the stem, and the cap bolt reaches, there is just a gap between top of steer tube and the cap? That should work no problem

[zombinate]

I am reading that the steerer tube ends at the binder bolt for the stem. If this is true, you need to get a smaller spacer and lower the stem slightly still. the tube needs to end above the top bolt plus a little. sounds like the stem needs to come down an 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

[toast2266]

It probably depends on the stem, and to a slightly lesser extent, the steerer tube. Regardless, I'd remove a spacer - better safe than sorry. If you want to retain the bar height, get a stem with more rise.

[willmtbike4food]

Listen to the previous two posts. You need to lower your stem in order to be safe.

If you were asking about an 80mm stem paired with a narrow set of 540mm bars, give it a shot, cautiously. We most often see the woodchipper (a wide bar to begin with) paired with a long (120+) high-rise (>25 degrees) stem. The amount of leverage you have over the steer tube is incredible - it gets amplified by the length of the stem. For a rider weight of 160 lbs, we're likely talking about a couple thousand pounds of leverage at the steerer clamp. Riding off-road, weight bouncing around, sudden impact from a water bar you didn't notice, and the steer tube breaks. Wow, that'd suck.

Time to lower the stem, buy a fork with a longer steerer, or talk to a framebuilder about lengthening your steer tube (they'll cut it off inside the head tube and weld on a longer one. Not the best solution).