lobstermike

Hi everyone, I have taken measurements and the stem clamp is for a 25.4 handlebar, and the bars are 25.4mm diameter, but the question is- is it possible to thread these curvy type bars through the clamp? Or is this type clamp only suitable for a straight handlebar? and i would need a stem with a removable facsia?

lobstermike

Also, the stem is steel and the bars are alloy.

big_heineken

Those bars will definitely work with that stem. That stem will also work with drop bars that have a lot more curves than those riser bars.

fietsbob

now whether the reach is the right thing for your comfort, is un knowable remotely.

open face plate makes changing your mind
and fitting a different stem extension easier.
as would a quill to threadless converter, then a stem swap is real quick.

though slow to remove slows street stripping down, too..

lobstermike

Its just that i have visions in my mind of me buying the bars, getting all excited about fitting them, and then i cant get the curved part through the clamp! The bars look to be a uniform length all along the bar? I would have thought the bars would be fatter at the middle, in order to fit the clamp snuggly?

lobstermike

The bar that is currently fitted to the clamp is a straight one, that i am comfortable with reach wise, but it just doesnt have any 'give' in it, and is a harsh ride on anything but the smoothest roads.

FastJake

Those bars should fit through the stem. I've never had a problem. Most bars are fatter in the middle, even if it's just a little. Are you using MTB components on these bars? That's the big question. The bars must taper down to 22.2mm or your brake levers, shifters, etc will not fit. Make sure the bar isn't 25.4mm all the way across. I wouldn't expect it to be, but it's possible.

lobstermike

Yes, FastJake, they are mtb components, and the bars in the picture are made by 'on one', so i guess they do taper down to 22.2mm. it's very hard to tell from the picture, but to me they looked a uniform gauge. Thanks for your help guys.

JiveTurkey

I don't think swapping to an aluminum bar will help--especially if the current bar is steel. Look into better grips, like Ergons.

lobstermike

Will a riser bar absorb much in the way of bumpy surfaces, compared, that is, to the straight steel bars that are currently on the bike?

LesterOfPuppets

Red ones might be too kinky for your stem, no way to tell without trying, though. Silver ones look like they'd be a piece of cake. I've got risers like those through a stem with a 4cm clamp with ease.



As to the flexibility of bars, someone really needs to do some testing and release results to the public. Maybe I'll apply for a grant

I don't think risers as a style are designed to provide shock absorption, they're "risey" just to provide a certain bar height, IMO.

I have some steel flat bars that feel just fine. Infact I've only had one pair of bars that felt harsh and those were some PricePoint Sette Flat aluminum bars. But it's really hit or miss from bar to bar. The bike's going to feel better with most Al bars because they'll be lighter, so worth a shot to get Al anyways.

Oh, and wider bars will generally help lessen harshness also. If your old steel flats are like 22" you've got a lot of room to go wider. The widest I run is 25" but a lot of people go wider these days. The widest I've seen for sale are 31". I bet there are even wider.

FastJake

+1

Even if one bar is more flexible than the other, getting flexy bars is a bad idea anyway. They'll flex every time you stand up to pedal, try to put power down, etc. You want your headset/stem/bar system to be as stiff as possible, that's why threadless headsets are a real improvement over threaded systems.

If you want more cushion get wider tires and make sure you're not inflating them too much. Also realize that if your hands/wrists/arms/etc are getting sore your fit is probably wrong. Stiff bars are not the cause.

JanMM

Carbon fiber bars can smooth out some road vibration.
They helped somewhat on my hybrid. But not enough to keep me from moving to recumbents.



The Ergon grips were also helpful.

LesterOfPuppets

Oohhhh my, yeah, rigid bike with that much saddle to bar drop, a narrow flat bar and 28mm tires can be mighty harsh.

JanMM

Those are 32mm tires - 35mm would have smoothed things out a bit. Not a Comfort Bike. Probably would have been better off with a larger frame but it fits my son well.

lobstermike

i suppose going from an mtb with front suspension to a completely rigid bike with narrower tyres at 80 psi may be the case. I just wondered if the riser bar would be more forgiving on pot holes and bad road surfaces. Maybe i'll stick with what i got on there if risers aren't going to make any difference. All the same, thanks guys.

cyccommute 

I think you are confusing large tube diameter aluminum bicycle frame stiffness vs small tube steel bicycle frame stiffness with the overall stiffness of the materials. If all diameters and thicknesses of the tubing is the same, the steel tubing will be stiffer. Given that a handlebar is a fixed diameter...whether in steel or aluminum...the steel handlebars are going to be stiffer than the aluminum ones by a factor of a little over 2.

It will also be around 3 times heavier.

cyccommute 

Everyone is correct that the bars will fit the stem. You may have to spread the clamp a little with and it's a bit of a puzzle to make the twists and turns but it should fit.

LarDasse74

It is likely the steel will be a little stiffer, but not certain.

ASs you said, it is different for frames where they compensate for the lower tensile strength of aluminum by using large diameter thin wall tubes, but most aluminum handlebars have considerably thicker walls than a good quality steel bar. THe thicker wall will increase stiffness as well as strength, although not as much as increasing the diameter by the same amount. I would guess the difference in flex between a good quality steel bar and a good quality aluminum bar will be pretty minimal... definitely less than the difference between a 32mm wide and a 35 mm wide tire.

fietsbob

Quill stem's handle bar clamps are narrower on one side,
that side faces the center of the radius, of the bend,
so turning the bar allows them to go in easily around the bends.

Off the bike this goes so much easier..

LesterOfPuppets

Only 1/4 of the quill MTB stems I have are cutaway on the underside for easy bent bar feeding. The rest of them have clamps cut at a constant length as such:



Those risers were a very easy install, however. Didn't have to spread the clamp or force the bars or twist them around much.

pat5319

try em, that's how shops do it