Stem problem (drop bar related. i have no idea what i'm doing)



xdoomriderx

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Aug 24, 2010
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so i picked up an old jamis quest at the flea market this past weekend. i basically just wanted an inexpensive frame and this happened to be there. now i'm trying to put some drop bars on it as my first step to converting it to a a fixie. the stem that comes on it has one bolt and is not the kind that opens up. i'm assuming i'm going to have to replace the stem in order to get the drop bar on there because it appears that there is no way this drop bar is going to slide through the hole smoothly. am i correct in that assumption or is there some magical way to get this thing through there that i am missing? thanks for your help!
 
I'm guessing you have some sort of quill stem that doesn't look too dissimilar to this?
p6766_250.jpg


Undo the bolt, prise it gently open, not too far and thread the bars in like one of those wire problems you get in a Christmas cracker
 
Old drop bars had softer bends than the newer ones, so they snaked in easier. Some combos of old stems + new(ish) bars are simply not compatible. If wooliferkins suggestion don't do the trick you need either an old bar or a new stem.
 
wooliferkins said:
I'm guessing you have some sort of quill stem that doesn't look too dissimilar to this?
p6766_250.jpg


Undo the bolt, prise it gently open, not too far and thread the bars in like one of those wire problems you get in a Christmas cracker

It's somewhat similar to that, although that looks like it has some flexibility to open. What would be a recommended tool to pry it open? Although it's a cheap, crappy frame I'd like to try not to break it.
 
dabac said:
Old drop bars had softer bends than the newer ones, so they snaked in easier. Some combos of old stems + new(ish) bars are simply not compatible. If wooliferkins suggestion don't do the trick you need either an old bar or a new stem.


thanks. this is what i was thinking. i think i'm just going to go for a new stem. i don't need anything super high end so it's not really that much of an expense to get a decent one.
 
xdoomriderx said:
so i picked up an old jamis quest at the flea market this past weekend. i basically just wanted an inexpensive frame and this happened to be there. now i'm trying to put some drop bars on it as my first step to converting it to a a fixie. the stem that comes on it has one bolt and is not the kind that opens up. i'm assuming i'm going to have to replace the stem in order to get the drop bar on there because it appears that there is no way this drop bar is going to slide through the hole smoothly. am i correct in that assumption or is there some magical way to get this thing through there that i am missing? thanks for your help!
If your JAMIS came with a Flat Bar (MTB-type handlebar) then you will need a new stem because the diameter of the center section for MTB handlebars is only 25.4mm (unless it were a more current OS handlebar/stem ... which we already know it isn't).

A ROAD handlebar typically had a larger center section (25.8 to 26.4mm with 26.0 being the norm).

Some Drop handlebars are STEEL and they will have a 25.4mm center section -- that is, some really expensive TRACK handlebars will be steel & some really cheap handlebars will be steel ...

Although it is possible to spread SOME-but-not-all stems a little to accommodate a larger center section, you should probably anticipate buying a new stem for whichever ROAD handlebar you choose to use.
 
xdoomriderx said:
What would be a recommended tool to pry it open? Although it's a cheap, crappy frame I'd like to try not to break it.
FWIW. You can use the CLAW on a regular hammer ... a "framing" hammer's claw might be marginally easier to use.
 
alfeng said:
If your JAMIS came with a Flat Bar (MTB-type handlebar) then you will need a new stem because the diameter of the center section for MTB handlebars is only 25.4mm (unless it were a more current OS handlebar/stem ... which we already know it isn't).

A ROAD handlebar typically had a larger center section (25.8 to 26.4mm with 26.0 being the norm).

Some Drop handlebars are STEEL and they will have a 25.4mm center section -- that is, some really expensive TRACK handlebars will be steel & some really cheap handlebars will be steel ...

Although it is possible to spread SOME-but-not-all stems a little to accommodate a larger center section, you should probably anticipate buying a new stem for whichever ROAD handlebar you choose to use.

i have a pair of cheap steal road handlebars with a 25.4mm middle section i am goign to use. i am reallly trying to avoid sinking a lot of money into this thing because this is my first time doing really any bike work by myself and if i break it i don't want to feel too bad about it. needless to say i've already spent way more money than i was anticipating and i haven't even gotten to the critical components yet (crank and all that jazz).
 
alfeng said:
FWIW. You can use the CLAW on a regular hammer ... a "framing" hammer's claw might be marginally easier to use.

i dont know. i feel like the angles on the make it pretty much impossible to slide it through unless i cut off the top and weld it back on. haha. i think i'll just buy a new stem and go from there. thanks for the advice though!
 
xdoomriderx said:
i dont know. i feel like the angles on the make it pretty much impossible to slide it through unless i cut off the top and weld it back on. haha. i think i'll just buy a new stem and go from there. thanks for the advice though!
FWIW. You would be simply be using the hammer's CLAW as a WEDGE ...

After removing the bolt, insert the tip of the hammer's claw in the gap ... then, gently pry the gap a little wider ...

Test by trying to insert the handlebar -- your steel handlebars should fit without doing any prying.

Repeat as necessary.
 

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