After years of discomfort on my 2000-ish Dawes Galaxy I took it to a specialist who fits bikes to people. He did a lot of measuring and made many changes which have almost sorted the problem out. Unfortunately, as he warned me, he was unable to get the bars as high as they need to be since, apparently, stems nowadays don't project far from the head-tube. Consequently my hands and forearms still ache due to the excess pressure on them. He had already changed the old-style stem for one of those new two-part ones comprising a tube and a double-ended clamp (tube goes on one end of the clamp, the bars on the other). The stem is now shorter and angles upwards, which is good. However, the tube that comes out of the head also needs to rise a couple of inches (5cm) but is already at the end of its travel. I took it out for a look and was amazed to find it was very short, allowing only about 3 ins (8cm) or so to project. All the old-style stems I have ever known could rise far more than this. Can anyone advise, please?
Several decades ago, as a schoolboy, I used to have a weekend job in a bike workshop but nowadays bikes perplex me, so if anyone can help I should be grateful for the Ladybird version.
Thanks
Michael
Ride discomfort: stem height?
Not sure if you have a Aheadset or a threaded headset.
If threaded then you ought to be able find a traditional quill stem that has plenty of height to it, try someone like St Johns Street Cycles if your LBS can't help.
If threadless/ahead then perhaps one of those extenders that bolts onto the top of the steerer (if this isn't what your mechanic has tried already?).
If threaded then you ought to be able find a traditional quill stem that has plenty of height to it, try someone like St Johns Street Cycles if your LBS can't help.
If threadless/ahead then perhaps one of those extenders that bolts onto the top of the steerer (if this isn't what your mechanic has tried already?).
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mjm6mjm6
Many thanks for this....but I have not yet got as far as that chapter in the Ladybird Book. Sorry. The stem he has fitted comprises (working downwards from its top) a tube in which is an inset plate through which passes an Allen-key bolt that runs down through a splined section, beneath which the tube is cut off at an acute angle. Matching this angle is another piece of tube containing a threaded plate into which the bolt runs. Tightening the bolt obviously forces the two tubes to work againts each other to jam them in the head-tube. Oh, and he did mention a 'converter' - does that help?
Apologies for the pathetic lack of correct vocabulary. I'm very grateful for any advice you can offer.
Michael
Apologies for the pathetic lack of correct vocabulary. I'm very grateful for any advice you can offer.
Michael
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Your original set-up sounds like a quill stem. The stem is clamped by being pushed against the inside of the tube (or steerer) which rises from the top of the front fork, through the head tube of the frame. There is a limit on how far such a stem may be raised - usually marked by a safety line. In today's fast moving, buy-it-today-chuck-it-tomorrow system, that is old stuff - obviously still perfectly OK but pretty well obsolete and not always easy to replace, especially if you want choice, such as something long enough to raise the bar height significantly.
Current state-of-the-art is often known as 'aheadset' after the tradename. With this design, the stem (which is only the same as the horizontal part of the L-shaped quill stem) is clamped around the steerer and capped off with a domeshaped plate or washer.
I presume the converter referred to by your specialist is the device which consists of the vertical part of a quill stem (which it replaces) and a aheadset type stem which clamps onto the convertor instead of onto the steerer. (I have never met anybody with a good word to say about these but that may mean little.)
If your bars do need raising, try finding a tall quill stem - there must be some about.
I fancy this may be explained more clearly on Sheldon Brown - it so often is
............................................................................................
It is (at the risk of a rebuke for doing the wrong style of link) Irecommend
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html
Current state-of-the-art is often known as 'aheadset' after the tradename. With this design, the stem (which is only the same as the horizontal part of the L-shaped quill stem) is clamped around the steerer and capped off with a domeshaped plate or washer.
I presume the converter referred to by your specialist is the device which consists of the vertical part of a quill stem (which it replaces) and a aheadset type stem which clamps onto the convertor instead of onto the steerer. (I have never met anybody with a good word to say about these but that may mean little.)
If your bars do need raising, try finding a tall quill stem - there must be some about.
I fancy this may be explained more clearly on Sheldon Brown - it so often is
............................................................................................
It is (at the risk of a rebuke for doing the wrong style of link) Irecommend
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html
mjm6mjm6: if you go to the link below (or to the topic "threaded headsets" a few topics below yours) you will find a furious debate raging about whether, how and why to raise handlebars. I have now successfully raised both the old fashioned quill sort (on a Supergalaxy and then a Dawes Horizon) and now the Aheadset (on a Galaxy Twin). I was delighted with the result in all cases.
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3444&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
It sounds as though you have a quill stem that has been converted to an Aheadset as Galaxies didn't get Aheadsets until 2006. As has been suggested above, ditch the converter and replace it back with a long quill stem. Alternatively, use a stem raiser on either: for the quill you are looking for a KF stem raiser (Wiggle have just discontinued them) and for the Aheadset a Delta stem raiser - lots of places sell these. Any problems, ask again - all is possible and straightforward. Don't despair, years of comfortable, enjoyable cycling await you whatever they tell you at your bike shop. Long live raised handlebars!
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3444&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
It sounds as though you have a quill stem that has been converted to an Aheadset as Galaxies didn't get Aheadsets until 2006. As has been suggested above, ditch the converter and replace it back with a long quill stem. Alternatively, use a stem raiser on either: for the quill you are looking for a KF stem raiser (Wiggle have just discontinued them) and for the Aheadset a Delta stem raiser - lots of places sell these. Any problems, ask again - all is possible and straightforward. Don't despair, years of comfortable, enjoyable cycling await you whatever they tell you at your bike shop. Long live raised handlebars!
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mjm6mjm6
Thank you Thirdcrank and Horizon very much indeed. Everything you say matches both what I used to have and have now got, so I feel I am reaching some understanding of the situation. I shall follow up the web leads and pursue with greatly raised confidence. And, I hope, handlebars. Incidentally, debates about the desirability of raising the bars notwithstanding, one outcome of the measuring was that I am diagnosed as having short arms. Which may explain why I never manage to buy a round. Perhaps I could even get a medical certificate for it, and even a government grant.
Michael
Michael
raising bars
I think I have the same problem as you.I have a temporary solution on my compact tourer using an A head converter and a stem raiser .I have recently heard of the Nitto stems sold by Hubjub which go up to 16 cms in length which should be tall enough for anyone.
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mjm6mjm6