It’s ironic that I write about the Volcano dustcap while sitting in a Rome hotel room, stranded on my way to Sicily because of an eruption of the Etna volcano (which I presume spews ash or shall we say; dust).
To be honest, I don’t particularly like the look of the Volcano under the stem, but it creates a stiffer set-up than having a separate dustcap and spacers. And with my massive sprinting power, I need that 0.0003% extra stiffness (insert self-ridicule). So the Volcano puts the stem at the right height in one piece, making it elegant in an engineering sense if not in an aesthetic sense.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I do actually think about these little things when spec’ing the bike, just because I can. That it won’t make a noticeable difference in the end doesn’t matter, that it is the “technically correct” solution does.
gerard.cc 
June 1, 2011 at 18:18
Hey Mr. Vroomen,
I’m loving your blog, its very funny and realistic!! Just wondering where one can get a volcano dustcap, I like the idea of getting ride of my spacers, also do they come in various heights and diameters?
June 1, 2011 at 18:50
Yes, the volcano caps come in a variety of sizes. I would advise against putting a cap from one brand on the headset of another, so you’d have to check what headset brand and model you have before getting a volcano. They can be tough to find though, not sure why as they are a great little piece. You may have to buy an entire headset, but then at least you have some spare bearings.