Taller Stem For Older Mtn Bike - Options?

Quoted message said:

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

I was in the same boat when I did a fixie conversion on an old
Bridgetstone MB-6 and gave up looking for something to help re-use the
existing front cantilever brake

I put a V-brake there with a "Travel Agent" to double the cable pull
from my road lever. Once setup (which can be a bear), it works great.

"Steve Sr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

You may need to go threadless stem. Get a 1" threadless stem adaptor
(http://tinyurl.com/2u7cdc - make sure you get 1" adaptor, Nashbar seems to
be out of it at the moment), get a front brake cable stop
(http://tinyurl.com/3ca7hr), and find a high-rise threadless stem. You can
even get a stem riser for it to make it even taller:
http://tinyurl.com/398ul5.

1992 Trek 950 is a great biike, Wisconsin-built lugged frame and all.

"Rameni Noodlium" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Steve Sr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

You may need to go threadless stem. Get a 1" threadless stem adaptor
(http://tinyurl.com/2u7cdc - make sure you get 1" adaptor, Nashbar seems
to be out of it at the moment), get a front brake cable stop
(http://tinyurl.com/3ca7hr), and find a high-rise threadless stem. You
can even get a stem riser for it to make it even taller:
http://tinyurl.com/398ul5.

1992 Trek 950 is a great biike, Wisconsin-built lugged frame and all.

No you don't. All you need is a quill stem stem riser -- $20 at Harris
Cyclery http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/stems/index.html#raisers. Use the
same stem you have.

-Jim

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

Yes, a 1" quill stem is a 1" quill stem. Just find one that is the
size and look that you want.

If you want higher, you can get an extender for your current stem.

Or you can buy a extra long, adjustable stem. I have a "Zoom". It
goes much higher before it hits the minimum insertion line than my old
quill stem. Also, the angle of rise isa djustable, so I can raise it
even more with that. I bought mine at my LBS last summer for around
$30 or so.

Another way you could go is to get a 1" - 1 1/8" adapter and then use
any 1 1/8" stem you want. There are of course many lengths, rises,
and adjustable ones of those.

Quoted message said:

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

My Kona MTB had the same sort of set up. I replaced the quill stem
last year, and I believe I had to use a cable stop that inserts on the
head set, I believe just under the lock nut or whatever it's called.
This is the conventional way of doing it, so I don't believe you'll
have any trouble finding one or having someone show you how it's done
if you can't figure it out. If I recall, the main 'issue' was that I
had to replace the cable because the new set up required an inch or so
additional length.

Steve Sr. said:

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

O/S quill stems are readily available at any competent LBS which
commonly services bicycles, $20 to $30 including extra-tall models.

For the brake cable, a fork crown mount cable hanger.

Or possibly consider a switch to a linear ("V"😉 type lever and front
brake- they were developed expressly to avoid cable routing issues. OTOH
they have much faster pad & rim wear rates so there are tradeoffs involved.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Steve.

I used a Radical adjustable stem to raise the bars on my old hard-tail
Miele mtb when I converted it to drop bars for *EXACTLY* the riding
surfaces you describe as well as for touring. Most any bike shop will
have or can get you an adjustable stem they should aalso have or be
able to get you a front cable hanger. Bear in mind that the adjustable
stem does shorten the reach to the bars slightly as it is raised. With
the drop bars I can use Campy Ergos or Shimano Brifters and the
variety of hand positions is sweet on longer rides.

I did go to V-brakes at the time but have since reverted to cantlevers
as I like them better and I can use them with drop bar brake levers
with out any add on gizmos. Oops, I almost forgot - if you decide to
go with V-brakes as some one suggested you will need to get V-brake
compatible upright bar brake levers too. Cantilever brake levers are
not compatible with V-brakes.

If you can not find front cable braket hanger give me a shout and I'll
send you one.

Cheers from Peter

James Fitch said:

"Rameni Noodlium" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Steve Sr." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

No you don't. All you need is a quill stem stem riser -- $20 at Harris
Cyclery http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/stems/index.html#raisers. Use the
same stem you have.

-Jim

Work great~!

You might also need new cables, housing and inner.

--
FWIW. The reply to address is good, but I don't
check it unless I am expecting something. SOOOO,
don't use it if you expect a reply anytime soon.

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

yes, from any bike shop that uses Quality Bike Parts, a distributor.

Quoted message said:

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Yes- either cable stops that live in the headset stack or bolt onto
the stem itself.

Quoted message said:

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Stem raisers work, but are UGLY.

Treat yourself to a handsome Nitto Periscopa stem ($20-30) and a cable
hanger($3).
http://tinyurl.com/2rsxkv

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Hi there.

Sorry if this appears twice but a window popped up saying my message
had not been sent.

Here is in case it was not sent before.

Hi there.

I forgot to mention that some of those cable hangers had built in
quick releases too. I have a source here where I can get both front
and rear ones but they are used. If you need them give me a shout.

Cheers from Peter

On Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:20:03 -0400, Steve Sr. <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and insight. It looks like its time
to go to my local REI and peruse the QBP catalog!

I looked at the stem raisers and it appears that these will raise the
stem several inches minimum which is more than I need. Therefore it
looks like I will be looking for a new longer stem and brake cable
hanger. I don't see any reason to change the brake setup since it
works fine as-is. The existing cable housing should even be long
enough once it is removed from the existing stem.

Best regards,

Steve

Per Steve Sr.:

Quoted message said:

would like to raise the stem

If it's got flats, you could get up to a couple inches by
switching to riser bars.

Up to five inches if you shop for the most extreme risers.
--
PeteCresswell

landotter said:

Stem raisers work, but are UGLY.

Treat yourself to a handsome Nitto Periscopa stem ($20-30) and a cable
hanger($3).http://tinyurl.com/2rsxkv

Gotta agree with landotter here. I have a Zoom adjustable 1" quill
stem on my old, too small road bike and it is indeed butt ugly. I
bought it intending to mess with it and then replace with a qulll stem
of the appropriate size. I rode that bike yesterday and it reminded
me how ugly it is on a road bike. Frankly, I think it would look OK
on a mountain bike though.

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Hi there Steve.

Some others have also mentioned the adjustable quill stems.

Here is a link to my converted mtb with the adjustable stem and drop
bars so you can see what that stem looks like.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=193571690&size=o

In the picture the stem is almost 90 degrees from the quill. I can be
rotated up and back so that it is almost vertical. So you have an idea
of how much height can be gained. What is great with the adjustable
stem i s that you can raise or lower the bars to suit the conditions
of the road you are riding. For example On rough dirt or fire roads
where you might want a more upright position for visibility you can
raise the stem. Then if you want to ride fast on paved roads later you
can lower the stem again.

That is the Radical adjustable stem and it sells for about $25
Canadian.

Cheers from Peter

Camilo said:

landotter said:

Stem raisers work, but are UGLY.

Quoted message said:

Treat yourself to a handsome Nitto Periscopa stem ($20-30) and a cable
hanger($3).http://tinyurl.com/2rsxkv

Gotta agree with landotter here. I have a Zoom adjustable 1" quill
stem on my old, too small road bike and it is indeed butt ugly. I
bought it intending to mess with it and then replace with a qulll stem
of the appropriate size. I rode that bike yesterday and it reminded
me how ugly it is on a road bike. Frankly, I think it would look OK
on a mountain bike though.

As an aside, I think those adjustable stems are fantastic for helping
folk dial in their bars. Once you're comfy, then you can deal with the
much less important aesthetics of the thing.

Sir Ridesalot said:

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Thanks,

Steve

Hi there Steve.

Some others have also mentioned the adjustable quill stems.

Here is a link to my converted mtb with the adjustable stem and drop
bars so you can see what that stem looks like.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=193571690&size=o

In the picture the stem is almost 90 degrees from the quill. I can be
rotated up and back so that it is almost vertical. So you have an idea
of how much height can be gained. What is great with the adjustable
stem i s that you can raise or lower the bars to suit the conditions
of the road you are riding. For example On rough dirt or fire roads
where you might want a more upright position for visibility you can
raise the stem. Then if you want to ride fast on paved roads later you
can lower the stem again.

That is the Radical adjustable stem and it sells for about $25
Canadian.

Cheers from Peter

Peter,

Thanks for the picture of your converted Miele. It looks like you have
long arms to have the bars that much lower than the saddle.

Unfortunately I have just the opposite problem - short arms. I need to
have the bars about even with or a little higher than the saddle.

To continue the saga I stopped by my local LBS yesterday to look
through the catalogs. We started with QBP then Hawley and finally BTS?

Apparently due to the way quill stems are measured (O.D of the steerer
tube that you can't see and not the quill diameter itself) what I
really have is a 1 1/8" quill stem.

I did some measuring of the current stem and it measures as follows.
The height at the minimum insertion depth is 100mm to the top of the
quill bolt. The stem reach is 115mm at an angle of 120 degrees from
the axis of the stem (30 degrees rise from perpendicular to the stem).

With the new setup I would like to increase the max bar height to
about 25-40mm higher than it is now. In looking through all of the
catalogs there were few quill stems that were long and none were 1
1/8". Apparently 1 1/8" quill is a red-headed step child that didn't
last long before threadless emerged.

Can anyone else offer any other places to look for a long 1 1/8 "
quill stem?

If I can't find a stem I guess I will have to look at a long 1 1/8"
quill to 1 1/8" threadless adapter. Have any of you seen these that
would be tall enough to fit the above requirements? Unfortunately, I
didn't have time to look at these when I was at the store.

Thanks,

Steve

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Steve Sr. said:

MTB gurus,

I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.

The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
as well.

The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
available.

The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
the headset nut.

Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
long since obsolete?

Quoted message said:

Sir Ridesalot said:

Some others have also mentioned the adjustable quill stems.
Here is a link to my converted mtb with the adjustable stem and drop
bars so you can see what that stem looks like.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=193571690&size=o
In the picture the stem is almost 90 degrees from the quill. I can be
rotated up and back so that it is almost vertical. So you have an idea
of how much height can be gained. What is great with the adjustable
stem i s that you can raise or lower the bars to suit the conditions
of the road you are riding. For example On rough dirt or fire roads
where you might want a more upright position for visibility you can
raise the stem. Then if you want to ride fast on paved roads later you
can lower the stem again.
That is the Radical adjustable stem and it sells for about $25
Canadian.

Steve Sr. said:

Thanks for the picture of your converted Miele. It looks like you have
long arms to have the bars that much lower than the saddle.
Unfortunately I have just the opposite problem - short arms. I need to
have the bars about even with or a little higher than the saddle.
To continue the saga I stopped by my local LBS yesterday to look
through the catalogs. We started with QBP then Hawley and finally BTS?
Apparently due to the way quill stems are measured (O.D of the steerer
tube that you can't see and not the quill diameter itself) what I
really have is a 1 1/8" quill stem.
I did some measuring of the current stem and it measures as follows.
The height at the minimum insertion depth is 100mm to the top of the
quill bolt. The stem reach is 115mm at an angle of 120 degrees from
the axis of the stem (30 degrees rise from perpendicular to the stem).
With the new setup I would like to increase the max bar height to
about 25-40mm higher than it is now. In looking through all of the
catalogs there were few quill stems that were long and none were 1
1/8". Apparently 1 1/8" quill is a red-headed step child that didn't
last long before threadless emerged.
Can anyone else offer any other places to look for a long 1 1/8 "
quill stem?
If I can't find a stem I guess I will have to look at a long 1 1/8"
quill to 1 1/8" threadless adapter. Have any of you seen these that
would be tall enough to fit the above requirements? Unfortunately, I
didn't have time to look at these when I was at the store.

I am amazed some of these all-too-quixotic searches for the commonplace.

Your Trek's "1-1/8" system uses a quill that's one inch diameter, a very
standard item, adjustable models being found on new 2007 bikes probably
in that very shop! Look at some sub-$500 'hybrid' models for example.

Any competent LBS which commonly services bicycles will have these in
silver or black, under $30.

p.s. There was at one time an "evolution" type 1-1/4 system using a
1-1/8 stem - but not on a Trek 930. Evo quills are indeed rare now.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Tue, 01 May 2007 22:03:55 -0500, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

On Apr 23, 9:20 pm, Steve Sr. <[email hidden]> wrote:
> MTB gurus,
>
> I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
> improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
> mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.
>
> The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
> current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
> Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
> as well.
>
> The first issue is whether or not 1" quill MTB stems are still
> available.
>
> The second issue is that the cable for the front brake goes through
> and uses the stem for the cable stop. Somebody should get an award for
> that one! So even if I find a longer stem if it doesn't have a brake
> cable hole I will need some kind of bracket to hold the end of the
> brake cable. I have seen these before on older bikes but have no idea
> where to look for just the bracket and for one that would fit under
> the headset nut.
>
> Can any of you offer any hints or suggestions or are these parts all
> long since obsolete?

Quoted message said:

Sir Ridesalot said:

Some others have also mentioned the adjustable quill stems.
Here is a link to my converted mtb with the adjustable stem and drop
bars so you can see what that stem looks like.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=193571690&size=o
In the picture the stem is almost 90 degrees from the quill. I can be
rotated up and back so that it is almost vertical. So you have an idea
of how much height can be gained. What is great with the adjustable
stem i s that you can raise or lower the bars to suit the conditions
of the road you are riding. For example On rough dirt or fire roads
where you might want a more upright position for visibility you can
raise the stem. Then if you want to ride fast on paved roads later you
can lower the stem again.
That is the Radical adjustable stem and it sells for about $25
Canadian.

Steve Sr. said:

Thanks for the picture of your converted Miele. It looks like you have
long arms to have the bars that much lower than the saddle.
Unfortunately I have just the opposite problem - short arms. I need to
have the bars about even with or a little higher than the saddle.
To continue the saga I stopped by my local LBS yesterday to look
through the catalogs. We started with QBP then Hawley and finally BTS?
Apparently due to the way quill stems are measured (O.D of the steerer
tube that you can't see and not the quill diameter itself) what I
really have is a 1 1/8" quill stem.
I did some measuring of the current stem and it measures as follows.
The height at the minimum insertion depth is 100mm to the top of the
quill bolt. The stem reach is 115mm at an angle of 120 degrees from
the axis of the stem (30 degrees rise from perpendicular to the stem).
With the new setup I would like to increase the max bar height to
about 25-40mm higher than it is now. In looking through all of the
catalogs there were few quill stems that were long and none were 1
1/8". Apparently 1 1/8" quill is a red-headed step child that didn't
last long before threadless emerged.
Can anyone else offer any other places to look for a long 1 1/8 "
quill stem?
If I can't find a stem I guess I will have to look at a long 1 1/8"
quill to 1 1/8" threadless adapter. Have any of you seen these that
would be tall enough to fit the above requirements? Unfortunately, I
didn't have time to look at these when I was at the store.

I am amazed some of these all-too-quixotic searches for the commonplace.

Your Trek's "1-1/8" system uses a quill that's one inch diameter, a very
standard item, adjustable models being found on new 2007 bikes probably
in that very shop! Look at some sub-$500 'hybrid' models for example.

Any competent LBS which commonly services bicycles will have these in
silver or black, under $30.

p.s. There was at one time an "evolution" type 1-1/4 system using a
1-1/8 stem - but not on a Trek 930. Evo quills are indeed rare now.

Andrew,

I guess that we just don't have any good LBS's in this area. They all
tend to deal out of the QBP or Hawley catalogs. They would also never
stock something as old and odd as a 140mm tall quill stem. I also
looked at the Harris site and they just send you to the online QBP
catalog.

Steve

Steve Sr. said:

On Tue, 01 May 2007 22:03:55 -0500, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> On Apr 23, 9:20 pm, Steve Sr. <[email hidden]> wrote:
>> MTB gurus,
>>
>> I have a 1992 vintage Trek 950 MTB and would like to raise the stem to
>> improve the fit (too much weight on hands). This bike is ridden
>> mostly on dirt roads and rail trails. I do very little single track.
>>
>> The existing stem is adjusted all the way up to the maximum line. The
>> current stem appears to be a 1" quill. The headset is marked Tioga -
>> Avenger - Japan if that helps any. The bar diameter appears to be 1"
>> as well.
>

Any competent LBS which commonly services bicycles will have these in
silver or black, under $30.

p.s. There was at one time an "evolution" type 1-1/4 system using a
1-1/8 stem - but not on a Trek 930. Evo quills are indeed rare now.

Steve

you could also try a nitto "dirt drop" stem, long quill and a decent rise,
it will work with flat bars with one shim, using one on my ss with north
road bars and a short frame.
Steve