I agree with the previous posters....Take the front end off and look for damage and size discrepancies. This sounds extremely unsafe!
Doug On Sun, May 22, 2011 at 9:56 AM, CycloFiend <[email protected]>wrote: > 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. > > -- 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.
