TrevA wrote:If the steerer is uncut and has a star fangled nut fitted, then if you cut the steerer down, you’ll need another nut, won’t you, unless the nut was pushed far down into the steerer. Are they easy to fit? Or is there a removable bung that could be used instead?
I use the sort of bung sold for use with carbon forks, which allows me to remove the bung, cut the steerer down, and then re-insert the bung. If and when I've decided that I will not need to cut any more of the steerer down, I can either just leave the bung installed or replace it with a star fangled nut.
If a star fangled nut is fitted and you want to cut the steerer down, you could just knock the star fangled nut further down inside the steerer tube, but you run the risk of the nut going out of alignment unless you can use a setting tool for the task (I think some setting tools might only allow insertion of the nut to the correct depth and no further). Another option is to knock the nut all the way down to the bottom of the steerer tube in order to remove it. The chances are that it might then be in no condition to be re-used, but star fangled nuts are not expensive.
As regards the wider issues raised by the original post, I can see the attraction of formulating something like a checklist for customers buying a new touring bike, so that they don't overlook anything and know what all their options are when discussing the bike with the shop and specifying components. To an extent I agree with this idea, especially where it involves such fundamental things as not having the steerer cut down (too much).
However, I don't think it's viable to have the sort of discussion with a shop about things like the pros and cons of different Tubus rear racks for nearly every component on the bike. The customer needs to do at least some homework beforehand (as LGC did when they posted on this forum asking for advice on choosing a new bike) or have sufficient experience/preference or prejudice of their own to be able either to tell the shop what changes they want made to the standard specification and/or to enable any discussions about the most suitable components to be targeted, e.g. ask advice about racks, tyre choice, cantis vs discs vs v brakes, saddle choice etc., but not to do so for every component and accessory choice.
Bear in mind that many shops are dealerships with very little choice of touring bikes, e.g. a Trek dealer might only be able to offer the Trek 520, and varying its specification much if at all may not be an option for a complete bike which comes in box, other than maybe the option of exchanging one Trek branded component for another Trek branded component or without paying a lot more to change the parts.
The likes of Spa and Hewitt are unusual in the range of touring bikes and components they offer, and in building them up to a bespoke specification if required, and it would take ages for them to go through every possible option with a customer. The important thing is that their customers walk out the door with a bike that is the right size for them, has reasonably good quality components or better (notwithstanding that TRP Spyres might not be the perfect choice of brake) and is suitable for the riding they will do, and which the customer can modify later as they see fit with different components, cutting the steerer, moving the brake/shift levers etc.
In my experience, any hope the OP might have of going into Spa for his next bike purchase and being able to specify exactly what he wants based on his greater knowledge and experience, is doomed. What tends to happen instead is that you get so particular and fussy, that you end up building the bike up yourself, because some of the components you want not even Spa stock and/or you want something a shop does not do, e.g. spraying the tubes with Waxoyl or similar before assembling the bike, putting more grease in the hubs than Shimano provide, drilling the hubs with lubrication ports etc.
