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I've been looking at expedition bikes and I've noticed on some bikes I've seen that they have a lot of headset spacers such as http://www.oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/models/overview/ and thorn cycles in particular. Why is that?

Andrew Welch
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  • more spacers = higher handlebars = greater angle between your legs and torso = more upright = more comfortable [= less aerodynamic]. Or so the theory goes. – PeteH Dec 31 '14 at 23:20
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    why not design a frame with a longer headtube then? – Andrew Welch Dec 31 '14 at 23:40
  • flexibility? But I'm sure if you look around you'll see variation in head tube length too. – PeteH Dec 31 '14 at 23:48
  • I'm just curious because back in 07 when I put together a touring bike using a mtb frame, I ended up using a lot of spacers, which at the time I thought wasn't a good thing, because the frame wasn't designed for it, and I also decided later that the frame was also too small. Plus since then I've use an adjustable stem instead. Maybe there is a benefit of smaller frame diamond segments for strength? – Andrew Welch Dec 31 '14 at 23:53
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    It also allows the production of a fewer number of sizes and allows for more adjustment (since you can always cut the steerer tube later). – Batman Jan 01 '15 at 00:30
  • One guess is as its easy to lower bars on a long stem than raise them on a short stem - having a lot of spacers means bikes ship ex factory with a stem length that means handle bar height can be adjusted to suit a wide range of rider preferences. Something that can be done with just an Allan key. – mattnz Jan 01 '15 at 02:23
  • all good points there. On this model http://www.oxfordbikeworks.co.uk/models/model-1e the number of spacers looks obscene, but its not mentioned why. If you were a tall rider why not just buy a bigger frame? I suppose it might give you more stepover clearance which could be a benefit if you are stopping often and have a loaded bike. – Andrew Welch Jan 01 '15 at 09:03

1 Answers1

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Having received an answer from Oxford:

As regards spacers, cycle tourists want/need a low stand over height, so that their bikes handle nicely and so that they can stop easily and grip their bike between their thighs when fully loaded. However, many cycle tourists want a head-up relatively high front end so that they can see into the middle distance without getting a stiff neck. For those cyclists who come from a road/700c background, they typically want a lower handlebar setting at the front, so the number of spacers is less, so generally its not an issue.

Vorac
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Andrew Welch
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