RacerOne

I want to cut the steerer on my 2010 Madone 6.5. It's full carbon and has a compression plug. The plug is currently about 3/4" below the top of the steerer, right where I want to do the cutting. Do I just tap it down further into the steerer so it ends up 3/4" below my new cut or is there some other procedure?

Thanks

DaveSSS 

Most plugs have a bolt in the center that expands the plug. It must be loosened to allow the plug to be lowered. There are some single-bolt models. In that case, tapping the center portion will loosen the plug, but it may fall to the bottom of the steerer, so you'll have to tip the steerer upside down to get it out.

RacerOne

Mine appears to only have one hole in the middle, the same one the cap screw goes into. I'll post a few pics to make sure. Standby.

zjk

if i am right, an allen wrench fits into the screw hole somehow to actually turn it. it is either slightly smaller than the hole, in which it will grab after the threads or you need a slightly bigger allen then the hole and it will lock in right before the threads of the hole.

RacerOne

I'll go check, but there sure doesn't seem to be any allen hole in there.. uploading pics now.. dial up is great.

RacerOne

Shoved as big an allen wrench as would fit in the threaded hole as far as it would go. Nothing down there.

Here are the pics:

BikeWise1

Put the bolt in and hit it gently to dislodge the wedge. It will fall to the bottom. No biggie. Cut the steerer then fish it out and reseat it. Done.

RacerOne

I'm not really sure I could fish it out of there, the fork isn't open at the bottom, and does the metal sleeve move with it as well, as a unit? If I could only find a picture of one out of the steerer.

DaveSSS 

Take the spring and top washer off. Install the top cap and bolt, then tap on the bolt, so it won't fall in.

BikeWise1

See the slot on the sleeve? It will move, but you need to dislodge the wedge (center piece) first. Once you get the wedge loose, remove the sleeve, then turn bike upside down. Wedge will fall out. It's not fun putting it all back together. I do a couple of these a week, so I've been around this block before.
Good luck! :-)

RacerOne

Ok, I get it, the wedge is compressing the sleeve, once the wedge is out the sleeve will be removable as well. That's a big help BikeWise1.. thanks!

RacerOne

I screwed the bolt into the wedge and gently tapped on the top of the bolt. All of the aluminum bits you can see in the photo moved as one piece down into the steerer. They never came apart or fell into the bottom. So I just tapped it to where it would be out of the way for the cut, cut away, then put it all back together. I'm not sure that was the way it was supposed to work, and frankly I'm still not totally clear on what is holding that thing in there but it seems to work just fine. Thanks for the input guys.