Steerer Tube Honing

[Frank Conway]

I'm trying to put a fairly long Technomic stem in my Heron and it is only going about halfway down the steerer tube. It didn't seem rusty or anything, but I cleaned it up and tried taking a few thousandths off or knocking off any high spots with a brake cylinder hone. It's nice and shiny now but to no avail. Anyone encounter this before? If so, how'd you fix it?

Thanks,

Frank Conway

Bedford, NH

[William deRosset]

The steerer is butted and it sounds like you have inserted the stem to the transition. The butt is there to reinforce a highly-loaded part of the bike. Don't try to turn it down.

Instead, seek ye a shorter-quill stem.

Best,

Will

William M deRosset
Fort Collins CO

[Frank Conway]

That makes perfect sense. I just cleaned it up with the hone. I didn't take anything off. The butted steerer tubes I'd seen previously have been Columbus and had helical ridges so when I didn't see them I didn't give it any thought. Thanks for the advice!

[Lungimsam]

My Tech and Tallux stems both "buttomed" out in both my Rivbikes' steerer tubes.

I got a Nitto Pearl stem. Has less rise.
Also, the Tech Deluxe has less rise . 190mm quill, I think.

[Dave Johnston]

I had the same issue with the Heron Touring when I firsted assembled it and had a conversation with Todd Kuzma about it. Yes the steerer is butted. I just used a early Tech Dlx stem which is a cm shorter than the current tech dlx. At the time I wanted the bars an inch below the saddle, but as I age I have raised the stem enough that I could probably use a Technomic again.

-Dave

[Evan E.]

I sometimes wonder why Rivendell sells only the Tallux with its 225mm quill. After all, not every bike has a long steerer/head tube and not every rider needs a tall stem. This is not a criticism of Rivendell; it's just an idle thought. (For my old Raleigh Competition I bought a Technomic Deluxe so that I could place my bars about one inch below the saddle without buttoming -- good expression, Lungimsam -- the quill.)

Evan

[Ron Mc]

Probably doesn't help, at all, because I haven't seen another since - but about 5 years ago I found a Nitto Long Pearl stem at Ben's

It gives me up to 90mm above the headset.  

Like I said, haven't seen another since.  

[Ron Mc]

ben's also has a short Technomic that's 75mm (3 inches) above headset

http://www.benscycle.com/p-2516-nitto-technomic-short-quill-stem.aspx

[John Hawrylak]

You need to be careful, the Tech Dlx has MIL of 80mm (vs the Tech at 65mm).  This gives a maximum quilllength above the HS of 110mm and requires 80mm in the steerer.

John Hawrylak

Woodstown NJ

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

Isn't a long quilled Pearl essentially a Technomic Deluxe? From specs, they both look to be cold-forged and the finishing (at least on mine) are identical. The identifying difference for me (from 3') is the handlebar clamp nut – the Deluxe version has more of a triangular threaded plate while the normal Technomic has a real nut.

Rivendell sells what they call Tallux (but looks identical to the Technomic Deluxe) that is 225mm tall. Both Ben's Cycle and Boulder Bicycle carry one that is 190mm tall (normal Pearl is 160mm tall). Maybe the latter is what you've been looking for?

[Ron Mc]

It was sold as a Long Pearl, and it doesn't say either Pearl or Technomic, it says Nitto.  

On Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 11:14:51 AM UTC-5, Benz, Sunnyvale, CA wrote:

Isn't a long quilled Pearl essentially a Technomic Deluxe? ...

[David Banzer]

A Technomic Deluxe is marked only as Nitto.
Most likely that's what it is, but Ben's certainly offers older, obscure items on occasion.
David
Chicago

[George Schick]

While reading through this thread discussion something kept going on the the back of my mind, like I'd seen something about the steering tube butting somewhere on the Web.  So I finally browsed through some of Sheldon's articles and found this:

Note: Steerers are butted at the bottom, so the hole in the steerer is constant-diameter until near the bottom, then the walls taper inward in the butted section. 

It is vitally important that the stem extender (or stem) not be inserted so far that the wedge is installed where the steerer is narrowing, or it could come loose unpredictably. 

When this happens, only the edge/corner of the quill or wedge contacts the steerer, and it is trying to "grab" a slanted surface. 

This is sometimes a problem on smaller frames if you try to insert the stem or a stem riser too far down into the steerer. 

Illustration by Nicholas Flower 

[Lungimsam]

Dats where i foist read it too