Tapered head tubes are a modern discovery and these are used and installed in all higher-end bikes but non-tapered head tubes are limited to a few categories and also depend on the threaded and threadless forks but tapered are for both threaded and threadless forks. these are lighter in weight as compared to non-tapered head tubes but the lighter weight does not mean that these would expire early, their durability is much more than that of non-tapered head tubes and their life span is also longer. tapered head tubes are loved for their aesthetics, and look with better characteristics and qualities.
More durability means that these would support and absorb bumps and drops on the trails and these would not crack and break easily due to their shape and structure. tapered head tube means these have greater width and diameter on the bottom end and narrow width on the upper end, it means larger bearings are installed for the lower wider end of the tapered head tubes and smaller bearings are used for the upper narrow end of the tapered head tubes, it has a big advantage, if you are a heavy rider or you are carrying heavy stuff on your bike for longer rides and longer mileages then these tapered head tubes would give a big relief and does not take more stress of the rider and the stuff and the main reason behind their evolution and manufacturing is to absorb bumps and jumps of the trails and give relief to bike rider on hard terrains.
The Head tube is the front tube of the frame which is joining the top and lower tubes of the frame and the tapered head tubes require tapered forks for compatibility when you insert the steering tube with the tapered head tube the bottom space of the wider head tube will give enough space and hollow space where the down head of the steer tube and the fork crown have a larger space to join with each other and tapered head tubes are far better for steering tube and the fork crown than non-tapered head tubes.
Tapered head tubes are compatible with all the spacers which are installed within the stem body of the headsets because the upper end of the tapered head tubes is the same as that of the stem body and headset of the handlebar, so it is an extra advantage which will save you from spending extra bucks on buying new sized spacers for the headset and the stem body.
Stability:
Tapered head tubes would improve your ride and you can learn a lot better, your skills will improve by riding on tapered head tube bikes, tapered frame and fork do not vibrate on hard terrains and do not make any irritating noise on the rough terrains. you will feel a clear difference between the tapered and non-tapered head tubes.
Stress And Force:
When you ride on a tapered head tube bike all the weight of the rider, stress, and force is applied on the lower tapered end of the head tube, just a fork rotating force is applied on the upper narrow end of the head tube, we can say as 70% of the stress and force is applied on the lower tapered end of the head tube on the trails, it is the reason that bike industry has evolved and discovered tapered head tube bikes.
All the stress and forces are dispersed and spread towards the edges of the wider tapered forks which will prevent the cracking, breaking, and bending of the head tubes of the frames.
Rotating Torque:
Tapered head tubes have conical shapes and non- tapered head tubes are straight and cylindrical shaped, you can observe from their shapes, tapered head tubes will rotate at a greater degree as compared to non-tapered head tubes, tapered head tubes are much more comfortable for twisted and corner trails than non-tapered trails. based on this difference bike industry has evolved and upgraded non-tapered head tubes to tapered head tube bike frames.
Is it Possible to Install a Non-Tapered Fork On a Tapered Head tube Frame?
yes, it is possible and you can insert old traditional non-tapered forks on a tapered head tube frame but if you tapered head tube sized an adapter to make the non-tapered fork compatible with the tapered frame, you have to check the width and diameter of the tapered head tube for buying an adapter.
Parts And Spacers Of Non-Tapered Are Widely Available:
70% of mechanic stores have all the spacers and tapered parts for inserting on tapered head tube frames but non-tapered spacers and forks are rare and are not available openly in every bike store, almost 70% of bikers have shifted their bike from non-tapered to new modern tapered frames.
Quick Response When Braking On The Terrains:
When you pull the levers of front and rear brakes on rough and aggressive terrains, tapered head tubes would give a quick response and do not produce any vibrations or wobble of the fork. when you apply front braking the tapered fork and tube would sit on the exact position and the handlebar doe not move right and left, it is also an advantage for mountain bike riders who have twisted and corner trails for riding.
Bending And Deforming:
Tapered headtubes do not bend and deform even after crashing or being hit but tapered head tubes are straight and cylindrical, which would cause bending when you apply brakes on downhill trails at higher speeds, these tapered tubes were specially made for higher speed and downhill riders which would cover longer mileages in minutes and hours.
Avoid Play In The Fork Crown:
large diameter head tubes of bike frames will keep the fork and fork crown immovable with zero play and vibrations when you turn the fork on the trails, but with smaller diameter, straight and non-tapered forks and head tubes, you will feel a large play in the front tube and fork on the trails and bike stability issues would begin to arise.
Increases The Lifespan of Bike Frame:
A greater width head tube does not allow the force, stress, and fatigue of the frame to apply tension on the head tube region of the frame but in those frames which have non-tapered head tubes, all the fatigue of the frame combines on the head tube place due to which the top tube and lower tube of the frame starts to weaken on their joining head tube place. the tapered head tube acts as a barrier against all the fatigue and stress of the frame in the front region of the bike.