Fork steerer tube too long?

ockidocki

Hello,

I'm talking to a seller who offers this Trek. In general it looks OK, but I was wondering why the steerer tube is protruding like that. Would I need to cut it? If so, how much would a mechanic charge for that? Image in link below:

https://ibb.co/e7F6kw

Some other questions, since I'm already asking for advice

The bike is a Trek 2.3, 54cm. Does anyone know how old it is? Do you think it would fit me (I'm 173.5cm)?

Thank you!

cooldad

It should have spacers and a top cap, or there's no way to preload the bearings. I'd ask the seller how they fitted the stem and where the bits went.

Cutting it down is easy, measure twice and cut it with a hacksaw or pipe cutter.

Matthewfalle

Its not too long - its just standard length and uncut, so a good thing.

As above - you can either fit spacers above or below the top cap when you have the stem at the height you want. What people normally do is have the stem at the height they want and either trim the steerer 5mm below the top of the stem or put a 5mm spacer spacer above the stem to allow for the proper preloading of the head set bearings.

Alternatively slam it and then cut all the steerer off. Some people say that this will devalue the bike when you come to sell it to which I counter that you may not sell it, it may not be worth anything when you try and sell it and why have something that's as ugly as phuck in the faint chance that you may sell it. Slam and cut.

If the seller hasn't got the spacers and top cap these will probably cost a tenner off the 'net/LBS so knock a tenner off the price.

Cutting is simple.:

Mark on steerer where you want the stem.

Draw a line either underneath by 5mm or above by 5mm.

Remove stem. get mate to hold bike.

Wrap rag around headset.

Cut with hacksaw/Dremel then file off rough edges, remove rag.

Refit stem/any spacers (but these won't be necessary as you will have slammed it). Don't do up stem bolts.

Preload h/set bearings using top cap and bolt

Do up stem bolts to 5Nm

Smash cut off bits with a hammer, set fire to them with fire and throw them in next door's garden.

Any self respecting LBS would do this for no more than a tenner as its 15 minutes work.

grahamcp

On the one hand it's good that you can cut the steerer tube to whatever length you desire. On the other hand it's worrying that presumably the seller has been riding it like that. I'd be asking them more questions to clarify how long it's been like that and why!

ockidocki

Thanks for all the info!

I will ask the seller about this. I'm a beginner, so I don't know how bad it is for the bike to be ridden without preloading the bearings. I guess that makes the bike rattle around and damages it? How worried should I be?

Matthewfalle

Hi

You can't ride t without preloading the bearings - the bearings hold the front of the bike in place and without them you'll have a load of movement around the forks making it at the worst unrideable at the least really shocking.

Pre loading them is simple.

Set the stem using spacers or cutting the steerer at the height you want.

Loosen stem boltrs

Pop the top cap on. They look like this https://www.bike198.com/fast-freddy-top ... your-bike/

Inside the steerer should be a nut shaped like a star or a bung. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-he ... stallation

A M5 allen bolt goes through the top cap into this bolt.

Do up gently until you feel it go tight. At this point only proceed a 1/4 turn at a go.

You will very soon get to a point where the bars will swing left to right with no real effort but when you put the front brake on there is no forward/backward movement.

At this point you do up the stem bolts

If you can't get this sweet point you may need to play with the spacers or some other shenanigans but its no dramas at all. Post on here for any issues.

Please don't be afraid of bicycle stuff as you are a beginner - its all really really simple. Don't let anyone tell you any different. They are lying if they say its rocket science or even more than 6/10ths difficult.

Park Tools web site have loads of stuff or post on here.

Park Tools: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-he ... -section-1

ockidocki

Thank you for the detailed instructions

Matthewfalle

Pleasure - no problem any time.