Bicycle Mechanics - adjusting threadless

Hi all,

I would like to adjust the height of my handlebars, but the stem is of the threadless variety (new to me!) and my manual does not explain how to do this. Instead it says to have a bike shop do it.
I would think it important for people to be able to do this themselves. Can someone explain how to do this? I assume to lower the bars I would have to remove one of those spacer things.
Thanks,
Brian

If you lower your stem by taking out some spacers, you probabbly have to cut your steerer!
The other option, is to buy a new stem with less gradient.

The amount of vertical adjustment on a threadless headset/stem is limited by the length of the steerer tube in excess of the width of the stem clamp. You can't just slide it up and down like a quill stem. If you have a spacer(s) below the stem, you can lower the stem by the width of the spacers. If you have spacers above the stem, you can raise it that amount. You don't have to cut the steerer initially, just reposition the spacers. Also try flipping the stem over to reverse the drop. Some combination of moving the spacers/flipping the stem may give you what you need. If that is not enough adjustment for you you have a couple of options.

1) As Mark said, you could try a stem with a different drop. Threadless stems are available in various lengths and drops/rises such as 0,6,10,17 degrees, all plus or minus since you can flip any threadless stem if you don't mind the name being upside down. Chucksbikes.com has some nice inexpensive stems ($6-8). You could try a couple of them for little money then buy a nice one once you have dialed in what you need.

2) Get an extension. They clamp to the steerer tube just like a stem, and give you extra length. Then you can also try flipping the stem for additional adjustment.
Regards,
Raymond

The retrogrouch dutifully has to ask: Does threadlessness equal foolishness, or can anyone demonstrate any real benefit to the system? The conventional threaded system provides very convenient, reliable, easy adjustment of bearing load and handlebar height, with a minuscule weight penalty.

Aluminum or Carbon steerer tube necessitates using threadless.
Thus, you can drop a lot of weight from a mid to high performance bike by eliminating the steel steerer tube!

L8R

To get decent adjustment, you need a long steerer with a stack of different sized spacers.
To move the stem down, you move spcers from below to on top of the stem.
When you are happy with your psotion, you can get your steerer cut shorter.

If you are happy with the height and dont need to change the height, the biggest difference is that you dont need 2 large spanners adjust the bearings, just 2 allen keys, which you already carry. For a tourist who would normally want to carry headset tools, this is a big weight-saving.

move the spacers around, but leave ALL of them on the stem.

The screw on top of the cap adjusts the bearings the clam p secures everything

Ride good height
Pat

Originally posted by John E
The retrogrouch dutifully has to ask: Does threadlessness equal foolishness, or can anyone demonstrate any real benefit to the system? The conventional threaded system provides very convenient, reliable, easy adjustment of bearing load and handlebar height, with a minuscule weight penalty.

I can't demonstrate any benefits, that's for sure. I know what the experts and manufacturers say, but having never ridden two road bikes identical except for headset design, it's all theory to me.

And even those theoretical benefits hardly seem worth the drawbacks, especially to the non-competetive cyclist. Those few grams of weight or some incremental gain in rigidity were never problems looking for solutions in my personal experience.

Being able to easily adjust the height of the bars, however, is.

Yes, it can all be "worked around." It's not a horrible tragedy. Ordering and installing a tall replacement quill stem for one new bike I bought was no less a hassle than ordering the other (newer) bike with an uncut steerer so that I could be sure it was tall enough. And both bikes look equally dorky.

Other improvements tangential to the advent of unthreaded headsets are more appreciated. The two-bolt bar clamp is unknown on quill stems, and can be very handy.

RichC

I have a -17 inch stem. I had 2 1/2 " of spacers under the stem.(steel steerer)
I just flipped the stem and was able to achieve desired height and lower stem by 1 inch. Is there any disadvantage to a flipped stem with a positive angle? Also I am planning on riding with one inch of spacers on top of the stem until I am convinced that I have the right height. Then I will make the cut. The problem is, the fear of impaling myself in the event of an accident.

Daneil

Originally posted by daniel22
I have a -17 inch stem.
Daneil


Damn, you have some long arms there dude.:D

The two-bolt bar clamp is unknown on quill stems, and can be very handy.
Rich,
Salsa makes a stem where the bar is removable without
having to remove brakes etc. Is this what you were
referring to or am I totally confused?
That would be the only advantage to threadless stems
IMHO. Yeah I know all about the ease of adjusting
etc. but seriously, how many times have you REALLY
had to adjust stem when out on a ride?
Maybe I am a retrogrouch. . .

Marty