Bicycle Mechanics - Looking for a threadless fork stem for 1 1/4" steerer tube

I'm having no luck finding a short (60mm-70mm) stem for a bike with an old Pace fork. The problem is the fork's steerer tube is 31.8mm (1 1/4") O.D., and it seems that this has become a rare size. QBP doesn't even list the size in their stem drilldown, and most websites that sell stems don't bother to mention the steerer size, as 1 1/8" is standard now. The bar is 25.4mm. I'd hate to give up this fork, as it is very nicely made. However, my wife can't get comfortable with the longer stem that's on it now.

Anybody have a source for this? Thanks!

retrobike or ebay? 1 1/4" is obsolete, and has been for 10+ years.

Good luck in finding one, but would be surprised if you can find one that short (60-70mm) as that size wasn't commonly used BITD when your Pace fork was made.

Yeah, only lowend $300 MTBs could be found with stems that short back then and none of them would be sporting 1-1/4"

There's a sweet Syncros up on eBay, but 150mm.

A butterfly/trekking bar might get the reach reduction you need. This one looks to be good for at least 3cm if run forwards, several more than that if run backwards. Some MTB stems have clamps that are too wide to feed a bar like this through, so you'll have to watch for that.

http://www.cyclocamping.com/prodimages/large/BHB-30-1.jpg

Thanks, guys. I will look for bars instead. Either that or shorten the stem by cutting & welding. Replacing or lengthening the wife is not an option.

Thanks, guys. I will look for bars instead. Either that or shorten the stem by cutting & welding. Replacing or lengthening the wife is not an option.

Don't even think about that one...

FWIW: 1 1/4" stems were fairly popular on tandems for a while. Maybe you should ask Tandems East or Santana to see if they have something that works.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thomson-Elite-Mountain-Bike-Stem-25-4mm-1-1-4-stir-1-inch-bar-/190604206164?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c60e56054

Doesn't specify a length, looks like maybe 80mm. Could always ask the guy.

I have some cheap 1 1/8 stems (read-heavy) around that have enough meat in the steerer clamp to easily be bored to fit 1 1/4. This might be another option to cutting and welding. How about having a custom stem made? Or... you could get one of these, http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=32965&category=177 and shim it to fit 1 1/4.

Thanks, Fast Jake: that one got by me! I asked him about the length- see what he says.

Thanks for the thoughts, Reddog3. As far as using a smaller stem, the time & bother of setting one up for boring seems excessive compared to cutting & welding the one I have. (It's a vintage Ritchey S/S, however, and I'm reluctant to chop it up.) Shimming a 1.5" stem would work, but most of them are set up for 31.8mm bars, which would also need to be shimmed.