Both of those bikes have aluminium forks. where different rules apply. The Trek looks to be similar geometry to my Trek Allent E-bike, which has a high front end without a need for lots of spacers.cycle tramp wrote: ↑4 Jun 2023, 8:40pm However, as Reynolds are making 400mm long steerers, then the only way you can explain the lack of steerer height adjustment (in the june/July 2023 cycle) on bikes featured on pages 63 and 65 is cost cutting on a mirco level..
The reasons steel forks may be supplied shorter than some riders would like is most likely the explanation Colin gave above, that is they're cut down when the bike is built from the frameset, to what the designer thinks appropriate.
I fully understand the economies of scale, I don't think it applies in this case, firstly because i doubt any steel bike producer is dealing in the volumes where it would apply and secondly the standardization of a component, the steerer, is likely to provide greater economy of production.