on 5/21/11 11:48 PM, Zaelia at [email protected] wrote: > I guess the more correct way to say this is that the stem is out of > alignment, so that when you look down at the front of the bike the > handlebars are not running parallel to the front hub. At least this is what > I read in my Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repairs. He noted that they were not > straight, and I told him this was a recurring problem that had been looked > at and fixed by a number of mechanics. I sarcastically said that you just > had to look at the handlebars sideways and they went out of alignment. He > fixed the alignment, tightened the bolt and then tried to move the bars out > of alignment with his hands. It was easy to do. He then tightened the bolt, > really wrenching on it and the bars still moved. He speculated that the stem > and steering column were not able to bind and had perhaps worn out where > they needed to bind (that's the best I can describe what he said, though I'm > finding it hard to find the right words), and said the only way to have the > handlebars aligned and bound was to raise the stem.
Let me get this straight: the mechanic was not able to torque your stem so your handlebars stay in place? And he let you and your bicycle out of the shop? There's a few ways this can happen - bulging, ovalization, improperly sized wedge/expander, failing bolt, splitting fork steerer - none of which are particularly "safe" failures. Someone needs to pull the stem, drop the fork and figure out what is going on. The steerer/stem connection is critical. It doesn't sound like something which should be ignored. Now - with a quill stem, there will be some slippage under hard impact. The bars can twist after a crash, for example. But, if you are able to reset the angle, and if it is a constant issue to keep them straight, something is wrong. - J -- Jim Edgar [email protected] Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com Current Classics - Cross Bikes Singlespeed - Working Bikes Your Photos are needed! - Send them here - http://www.cyclofiend.com/guidelines "I threw one leg over my battle-scarred all-terrain stump-jumper and rode several miles to work. I'd sprayed it with some cheap gold paint so it wouldn't look nice. Locked my bike to a radiator, because you never knew, and went in." -- Neal Stephenson, "Zodiac" -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
