TrekSandra

I was all ready to order the Albatross bars and the Nitto Technomic Stem. Trying to decide how long of a stem to get.

For some reason I decided to take my bike into the bike shop first, just to see what they had. They didn't have a thing I was interested in, but measured my stem and my stem is a 22.2 mm diameter stem!!!!

The Nitto Technomic Stems only come in 25.4 and 26.0.

We looked in a catalog at the bike shope and 22.2 is an odd size. There's not much selection.

So, what do I do?

CV-6 

I think your LBS is confused. 22.2mm is the size where it goes into the steerer tube. The 25.4mm and the 26.0mm is the bar clamp size. Standard sizing. Personally I would find another bike shop, but you may not have much choice.

TrekSandra

I don't have much choice and today they only had a couple of young girls working there. I guess they don't know much more than I do. That is correct. 22.2 is the size of where the stem goes into the tube. Is that 22.2 standard? Would that Nitto Technomic Stem fit after all?

Please explain the bar clamp size and how would I know which size I need for Albatross bars?

Kommisar89

22.2 is standard for the part that fits into the head tube on the frame so the Technomic will fit fine. Only a few odd French bikes don't use that size. The other number is the diameter of the handlbars where the clamp fits. Unfortunately that is not as standardized. 25.4 is very common. 26.0 is typically found on Italian bars. You need to have them measured to be sure as those are too close to tell by looking unless it's printed on your old handlebars.

TrekSandra

well, I'm getting new stem and new bars, so hopefully, they will know when I order them. I'll call Rivendell Monday! Whew! Thanks.

nlerner

Rivendell can tell you (and usually has on its website) the diameter of the bars and the capacity of the stems and find a match for you. Your LBS, on the other hand, needs to do some learnin'!

Neal

luker

For the sake of completeness if anyone references this thread in the future, the older Cinelli bars were 26.6. The only brand that used such dimensions, I think.

el twe

You mean 26.4?

Charles Wahl

As others said: don't worry about the stem shaft diameter -- 22.2 mm is what a Technomic, or any other Nitto stem, will have.

The Nitto Albatross bars are 25.4 diameter at the sleeve. That's the "mountain/flat bar standard. 26.0 is the "road bar" standard. Some bars, like the Nitto Moustache, come in either diameter. It's easy enough to fit a 25.4 bar into a 26.0 stem hole -- you just get a shim that whoever sells the bars/stems should also offer.

If you have a choice, I'd buy a 26.0 stem with a shim, rather than a 25.4. That way, you could always use it for either type bar in the future (or sell it for use with either). What's more complicated is that the stem you need for "fit" of a commuter bar will probably not be right for a drop bar, should you decide to go that way later. Height is solved easily enough by getting a stem with a long shaft, like the Nitto Technomic. But reach is another matter; that's a critical characteristic for a stem, and varies a lot for different riders, bars and riding styles.

If you're going to have a lot of stem shaft showing, and don't have the need for a lot of reach, the DirtDrop stem by Nitto might end up looking better. There are only two sizes (well, 3, if you count the similar Periscopa), so if you need a particular reach, it's probably best to stick with the Technomic, which comes in a lot of reach sizes.

I ride a frame that's too small for me (I know because I'm just getting comfortable when my seatpost is at its limit, and I'd like to try higher), and I can't even get the (Technomic) stem high enough for my taste without it looking bizarre. So I'm thinking of the DirtDrop.

What's sometimes a pain is that equipment like brakes and the "grip-integrated" type shifters are often made for one diameter or another. For instance, the Shimano Nexus 7-8 speed shifter units only fit on the 25.4 bars.

Little Darwin

I went into a bike shop that I thought was well established today on the way back from the Trexlertown swap meet and asked if they had any quill stems... The mechanic asked me if I was looking for some sort of pen... THen I said "No, a stem for a one inch threaded head set... He started looking through his box of old parts at that point because he at least knew what I was talking about, even though he didn't have one.

luker

Yeah, typing too fast too early. 26.4