Friday, January 28, 2011

Introducing the one, the ONLY: Soma Quill-inator



We're often approached by customers who have a Nitto or Cinelli quill stem and can't use it because their fork is threadless. We mulled over this for a while..and came up with the design for the product that has been dubbed "The Quill-inator". Our friends over at Tange-Seiki in Japan are responsible for the production.

TA-DA, the new Soma Quill-inator! It allows the use of a quill stem on any threadless system. It's a niche product but we think it fills an important one. Now you can have the reliability of a threadless system and still use the vintage quill stems you have kicking around.


They're available in black and silver...

31 comments:

Ryan said...

YES! Best idea ever! Now I can buy a modern steel bike like yours. Or Surly. Neither which I would have tried without this.

Aaron said...

Can this be used with 1" threadless systems as well?

skvidal said...

More pictures, please!

Stan said...

These are for 1" threadless systems. No 1-1/8" in the works yet.

el viejito said...

that is a ridiculously sexy and genius idea...now i just need a new bike...

Anonymous said...

i don't like this

Anonymous said...

I have a bike with a tapered headtube and carbon steerer will this work okay without braking ever.

Anonymous said...

i'td be cheaper to just buy a new fork and headset, no? once you sell the threadless fork, i'd say so.

Also, how much "adjustability" can you actually get out of this. the starnut is only ~15mm deep,and I imagine, you're hitting the min insertion line on the stem pretty easily while raising it.


sounds like an expensive solution to a barely existent problem. (that already had many solutions...) i'll pass.

Anonymous said...

I hate everything and new ideas suck!

weichbrodt said...

@Somacisco 1 1/8", pllllleeeeease!!!

Seriously, for some vintage bikes with non-standard stem sizes, it's impossible to get replacement quills, but you can find threadless adapters for them. However, you still want that vintage quill look…but you have a 1 1/8" threadless because that's what the adapter uses.

Anonymous said...

How do you fit that on a bike with Cantilever brakes?

where does the cable housing hanger go?
you need more steerer for that or do you clamp it onto the stem?

NB
Expanding bolt like CF steerers need can be removed after doing the headset preload.

BBB's BHP 20 is a quill conversion,
for 7/8" ID forks..
uses a bolt to pull up it's wedge
the bolt itself, on the top, is threaded internally for the pre load screw .

i got the larger BHP 21 to regain swn off height on my 9/8" threadless fork

Anonymous said...

So now I can use a quill stem again for my Cannondale team crest bike I got a rock shox paris-rubaix sl fork for back in 1997. Thanks, Soma Fabrications!

Unknown said...

I was wondering how to add a little "new school" to my randonee bike. This will do JUST THE THING...

Oh, wait, nevermind this is the worst thing you have ever made.

Anonymous said...

you can make this "piece", an admitted very niche market, but no single speed cyclocross frame. makes sense.

jons_opinion said...

Well, done and vert pretty. But it seems like an ice chest conversion that fits where the compressor is on your fridge. Older isn't always better.

Trent said...

Love the idea! I'd like to see a smaller clamp + interior shim for a more low-profile look though...

Benamin said...

Why settle for lightweight, reliable modern components when you could use your obsolete, inconvenient parts with this kludge. Dislike.

Anonymous said...

Which SOMA frame is that in the picture? Thanks.

Anonymous said...

worst of both worlds...

Stan said...

Oh man, the Quill-inator's getting no love...bikesnob definitely laid it on heavy! We're even conflicted here at Soma. Let's keep in mind it's a niche product, this is America people, revel in your choices!

Anonymous #9(?) Its not a Soma frame, its a sample we had in the office..

whiskey and diet said...

I like the concept since I only ride threaded and this would open up my frame choices (since I'm riding an older Rush, which I love). But in reality, I think I'd stick with threaded 1" forks since I hate the way threadless feels.

Thanks soma for making this. The price tag is a little high for a "cosmetic" piece, but I was just wondering why this hasn't been made yet a few weeks ago. And it does look classy.

Anonymous said...

Gotta get a 1 1/8th version in the works. Make some dreams come true.

guy said...

I agree, dumb idea. Too bad about the waste of money, there must have been something better to waste the time and money on, How about a left hand threaded fork and headset? Or, threadless axle nuts? How about an itegrated handlebar/headset/stem/fork, like the campy two piece bb spindle, stem and bar spline together in the middle?
I can only hope that it will remian the one and only.

Bleevo said...

1" threadless is a pretty rare frame/fork combo these days. I do have a 2005 bianchi volpe with a 1" threadless. I think the very next year they changed to 1 1/8".

Unknown said...

Kill it! This is way worse than even quill adapters. If you have a bike with 1" threadless--get a threaded fork! I had a little chuckle discussing this possibility with a fellow mechanic a few months ago. Think long and hard before making a niche-within-a-niche product. 1 1/8" would be absolutely ludicrous.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea, but the quill-inator is just so much wider than the stem. Couldn't you make a this out of a single piece of metal? Like take the design of standard angled quill, but make the part of the stem that attaches to the headset big enough to go over the threadless headset and use a single screw in the back to hold it on.

Anonymous said...

Lets see more stems that resemble track stems,they allow you to adjust the reach

Anonymous said...

Will it work with a King headset?

Stan said...

The unit comes with a matched headset, though I supposed you could forgo the headset and just use the top part. I don't know if the diameter of the top part matches the diameter of a CK uppper cup though.

Anonymous said...

I'm a niche this was made for. I'm out of options with my threadless 1-inch stem on my Specialized Allez steel bike. I've done some measuring and think this product will provide the height and reach I need to save an inch for a better fit. With my short reach, I need a stem that can give me the handlebar height I need and look more elegant. A threadless stem looks too clunky on this retro red beauty.

Aeron said...

Have been looking all over the internet ...are these still available??