Acros clamp headset question

on-yer-bike

With this system am I right in thinking that you can not have spacers above the stem? And, if this is the case then once the fork steerer is cut there can be no further upwards adjustment of the stem?

ai_1

No that is incorrect.
The Acros clamp maintains bearing loading at the top of the head tube rather than using the bung to pre-tension as with a typical setup. That means anything above the stem is pretty irrelevant on the Acros setup. You can have spacers and an endcap if you like, they just don't serve a purpose in tensioning the bearings or retaining the steerer. You don't have to have an end cap to at all unlike the conventional system (which means you also have to fill any excess steerer length with spacers above the stem so that you can apply tension with the endcap).
However I'm not suggesting you should leave the end of the steerer empty on an Acros setup - it would be rather dangerous if you fell forward onto an unprotected steerer end.

on-yer-bike

I understand how they work. And to me it looks like if you have spacers above the stem there would be nothing to hold them on as normally the top cap holds them on. So basically, once the steerer has been cut there is no longer any upward movement of the bars available apart from flipping the stem. I always have at least 10mm of spacers above the stem for future adjustment especially if I was to sell the bike. It looks like an invention that didnt need to be invented.

ai_1

on-yer-bike wrote:

I understand how they work. And to me it looks like if you have spacers above the stem there would be nothing to hold them on as normally the top cap holds them on. So basically, once the steerer has been cut there is no longer any upward movement of the bars available apart from flipping the stem. I always have at least 10mm of spacers above the stem for future adjustment especially if I was to sell the bike. It looks like an invention that didnt need to be invented.

There is a cap provided. It's just a push fit. It finishes off he steerer tube and if you have spacers above the stem it will hold them in place.
There's no more reason to cut a steerer when using the Acros system than any other. In fact there may sometimes be less since you don't have a bung position to worry about.
I'm confused why you would assume the system was so badly flawed when there's no reason why it should be nor any evidence that it is. Ironic that you call this an invention that didn't need to be invented in the same post that you make a criticism that has much less reason to have existed.

charlie_potatoes

on-yer-bike wrote:

I understand how they work.

Eh! :?

on-yer-bike

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

on-yer-bike wrote:

I understand how they work.

Eh! :?
The bit I dont understand is the question of spacers above the stem. I understand the principle.

OK now I know that the top cap does hold the spare spacers in place.
Thanks