# Colnago carbon expander plug too heavy



## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Okay, I just got my Colnago Extreme this week, and it came with what looks to be the largest carbon steerer plug ever created. The thing is a beast, and must weight 150grams. I'm thinking about ditching it, and using a regular carbon expander plug I have from a Alpha Q. It's much shorter and significantly lighter.

But, I was wondering about others opinions. Do you guys use the default Colnago expansion plug? (It's the one that is so long it looks like a threaded to threadless stem converter and not an expansion plug at all.


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## xxxxx (Oct 31, 2008)

I thought the same thing when I got my frame. I chucked it & used a light FSA one.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Works for me*

I use the default expansion plug, actually made by ITM, on 3 bikes with a Star, Force and Flash forks. I've never thought to weigh the damn thing. I find that it's well designed, easy to use and more importantly, works extremely well. I've never had any slippage if set up correctly and the fork, headset, stem interface does not need attention. I've used other carbon fork bungs by Reynolds, Look, etc. and while perhaps lighter, are nowhere near as secure. Just MHO.



nightfend said:


> Okay, I just got my Colnago Extreme this week, and it came with what looks to be the largest carbon steerer plug ever created. The thing is a beast, and must weight 150grams. I'm thinking about ditching it, and using a regular carbon expander plug I have from a Alpha Q. It's much shorter and significantly lighter.
> 
> But, I was wondering about others opinions. Do you guys use the default Colnago expansion plug? (It's the one that is so long it looks like a threaded to threadless stem converter and not an expansion plug at all.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Well I'll probably end up using the default one for now. It's what Colnago recommends, so it's probably good enough. But I still find the expander rather massive.

Also, it uses the old 1980's threaded stem system where the bottom section expands off center from the rest of the expander to hold it in place. It just seems like this would cause more stress in the carbon steerer than the plugs that expand in all directions at once.

But, again, I assume Colnago has tested this a bunch or they wouldn't have sent it with the fork.


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## nrspeed (Jan 28, 2005)

My stock Colnago expander was * 67 grams!*

The Extralight Ultrastar is too wide
I ended up using an FRM expander= 12 grams.

55 gram savings!


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

I use the FSA expander. Plus I put a bit of Tacx carbon assembly paste in the steerer tube to ensure that it does not slip. The stock Colnago expander is a beastly thing and I agree that the wedge design point loads much more than other expanders.


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## oganloc (Apr 18, 2009)

*Colnago expander*

55 grams of saving!!!!

You ever heard of loosing weight! If you just eat a snack less 55 grams are gone in no time - better than playing with safety.





nightfend said:


> Okay, I just got my Colnago Extreme this week, and it came with what looks to be the largest carbon steerer plug ever created. The thing is a beast, and must weight 150grams. I'm thinking about ditching it, and using a regular carbon expander plug I have from a Alpha Q. It's much shorter and significantly lighter.
> 
> But, I was wondering about others opinions. Do you guys use the default Colnago expansion plug? (It's the one that is so long it looks like a threaded to threadless stem converter and not an expansion plug at all.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*Expander Plug Torque Limit??*

what is the torque limit, and does it vary for each fork? do you tighten as much as you can by hand? or use 5nm like the ritchey torque tool? 

i will be getting a different expander as well, but i can't decide which one to go with. fsa/reynolds type, cinelli/deda type, woodman, profile design?? so many to choose form. hey nrspeed, which is the lightest (since you are weight weenie you probably know  )


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## Clevor (Sep 8, 2005)

My stock expander plug is around 59 gms. Yes, a pig, but how much does a replacement Star fork cost???  Something like $800-900, if you can find one. I won't use anything but the stock plug. I find other places to lose weight.

There was a post a while back about steerer tubes on the Star fork cracking. Plus good luck trying to reproduce the factory paint scheme on the replacement fork. Colnago made the plugs that way for a reason. You can take the gamble . . .


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