Is my steerer too short? With pics

joe1983

Hi, thought I had measured the length of steerer I required correctly but when my forks arrived (2nd hand) they looked too short by about 5mm. I have fitted them and taken pics to get your expert opinion on whether they will be ok, or if the steerer really is too short (first time posting pics tho so fingers crossed!). If it makes any difference I ride trails and cross country mainly, might do a bit of light downhill now and again, but don't do any jumps. Weigh about 13st.





Let me know what you guys think (pls say they are ok!!)[/img]

ride_whenever

In that photo, have you already tightened the headset?

If not then it'll be fine, if you have then it'll be okay for xc probably, and should be fine for trails.

N.B. probably and should...

robvalentine

try a lower stack stem, you want the steerer to cllear the top bolt.

looks like it may be too short.... you look to have a low stack headset already...

joe1983

Yep already tightened the top cap bolt

allthegearnoidea

mines a lot shorter than that! :shock:
never had any issues with it at all length wise! (xc mainly!)

Tank-slapper

It looks too short to me.

dunker

if it was mine i'd rather only have about 3mm gap, is it dangerous? i've no idea sorry.

easton stems quite high? 40mm? get a smaller height stem, fsa 35mm?

allthegearnoidea

i wood have thought theoretically that as long as over the the height of the stem is covered as such then it wouldnt be dangerous as there is more than half the height of clamped area! if it were less than that then yes maybe dangerous??

ride_whenever

Looking at it again, the steerer is above the midline of the top bolt so it will be fine.

Although if I were you i'd periodically take the stem off and check the top of the steerer for deformation.

Anonymous

looks ok to me but i would be tempted (apart from the fact it would be visible) to cut a slim ring from another steerer tube to put in the gap and help to reinforce the area just in casey.

joe1983

Thanks for all the responses everyone, Seems the consensus is that it's OK but not ideal. Measured the easton stem and its about 46 mm high so I guess anything around 40mm or less would be good. Noticed Thompson elite's are 40mm...hmmmm! Any other suggestions for low stack stems? Thanks again,

Joe

xtreem

The headset too high maybe?
I've got a lot lower one/flatter one.

Rockhopper

I'd ride that without giving it a second thought.

nicklouse

i would not run it like that.

it is just a bit too iffy.

i would like to see the steerer above the bold as a clamping force on an end of a tube is not good.

joe1983

Hmmm....Nick (AKA resident expert) do you think it will be ok to run on flatish trails til I can afford a new stem in Jan?

johnsav

im not expert on bikes, but i am a mechanical engineer.

i hear what nick says about the clamping force being on the top of the tube, but by the design of that stem it is going to be clamping hardest in the middle. they arent exactly made out of swiss cheese either!

I wouldnt worry about it.

perhaps get a small piece of offcut and add it to the top of your steerer to reduce the stress at the top.

nicklouse

johnsav

you will still have a pinch force where the bolt is.

johnsav

i can see that nicklouse and im not saying there wont be.

joe1983

OK so looks like its gonna be alright in the short term for light use (i ride like a girl anyway) until I change out the stem for a more suitable one.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

Joe

buzz1

Looks dodgey to me, best to have too much, than not enough!
It may put too much pressure on the top bolt, and after all that bolt's only for pre-loading the bearings and not to hold the stem on. That's my opinion anyway, but I'm no expert.

supersonic

I have to agree with Nick here.

allthegearnoidea

Crikey! mines not far over 3/4 the way up the stem (has always been like that - 5 years) and has had no issues at all! carbon stem too, maybe i'm just lucky or maybe a bit lacsidaisickle about it! :?

xtreem

I say, buy new stem with one bolt in the middle, not two like on the picture.

Wheelieguy

I used to run a set of project twos on my old giant atx 850 and the steerer must have been about 10-20mm lower than the top of the stem i was using and i never had any issues with that at all, id happily ride that all day long bud!