Phantastical

I tried with and without the spacers beneath the stem riser, doesn't make a difference because it's not the space which are stopping it. It just will not slide down the fork where it should, the narrow upper tube of the riser is too thin to slide over my fork tube. Sorry if I'm using the incorrect terms but hopefully you understand. Here, I'll try to show what I mean.

andrei_r

I still think you're trying to do it the wrong way. The thin part of the riser should not slide over the steerer (fork) tube. The thin part serves in fact as its continuation, so it is the same diameter and logically wouldn't ft over it. The only thing that should slide over the steerer tube is the thick part of the riser. This is why it should go exactly where the stem is right now (above your existing spacers) and the original stem will go over the thin part of the riser.

Phantastical

Then in theory I had installed it correctly but it was still not right. Even after a few different attempts, the long stem bolt from the riser was not tightening it down properly. It left the entire fork loose.

In this video, the guy is installing the exact same riser and as you see, it slides down where it should (skip to 1:12):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfas...g&spfreload=10

Where as on my tube, the riser base stops around where the top spacer ends in my picture. Even if I removed the spacers, same thing. You can also see in the video that his stem bolt stops around halfway down the riser before he begins tightening it, where as on mine it was about 3/4 down before I could begin to tighten it. So I don't think the stem bolt was able to reach down far enough, is my assumption. I really don't know.

What other alternatives are there though? Every threadless stem riser I've checked appears to be pretty much the same.

Clyde1820

Where is "here"? Got a zipcode?

What sort of overall design/type of bike would be most "worthwhile" to you? Road specific, hybrid, MTB with suspension? I'll assume any sort of generic, hybrid type would be sufficient, but would any of the other types be unsuitable?


CraigsList really does pop up with some amazing finds, from time to time. Don't know what your area is, but I'll bet sometime in the next 60 days or so there'll be one or two decent choices even in a spot where it seems "dry" much of the time. Another nice thing about pre-owned bikes is that you can often pick up some pretty nice components in such a buy, ones that'd be way beyond your price point these days in any new bike. Examples might be: late-1980's to mid-1990's Trek or Univega steel bikes (not high-tensile [or hi-ten] steels). In the past 9mos or so, I've seen a handful of Trek 970's go for sub-$200, and the components alone, today, would be ~triple that value, even without the frame and wheelset, and they'll be much more durable and reliable than many lower-end components you might find on a new bike in your price range.

Another spot to look at would be second-hand type stores ... you know, Salvation Army, Goodwill, other consignment type shops that have pre-owned sporting goods stuff.


Try this search, for areas nearby: SearchTempest - search for CraigsList and eBay classifieds.

andrei_r

Don't give up yet. It shouldn't be that complicated.

First of all, I am assuming that your steerer tube is actually 1 1/8". If it's the case, the thick part of the riser should fit snugly over the steerer tube.

The riser base should actually sit on top of the last spacer, without the thin part of the riser touching the top of steerer tube. If the thin part of the riser sits on the steerer tube, you need to add one more spacer under the riser. Like this the long reach top cap bolt that goes down vertically into the assembly will actually do its job by squeezing the whole thing together. If the riser already sits on the steerer tube, you can tighten the top cap bolt all you want, but there will be some loose in the headset assembly. It is imperative to have a few mm of play in there. If you feel overwhelmed by all this, you could always take your bike to a mechanic who will do it properly for you.

DorkDisk

The probabilty of a new model aluminum frame with 1" threadless suspension fork is practically nil.

The riser should not bottom out, as this prevents adjusting the headset preload. You may need spacers to acheive this if your steerer tube is longer than the depth of the riser bore. At the same time, you need to mind the minimum insertion depth to ensure strength

You can look at regular aheadset adjustment videos and mentally replace the stem with your riser. Once that is done, the stem slides over the riser.

Phantastical

I actually think I got it, finally. Taking andrei's advice, I gave it one last go and added one of the small spacers under the new stem riser base (instead of above) and now the stem bolt tightens everything up. I don't know how or why but it seems to have worked. I would never have thought of trying that before as I didn't see anyone else online installing like this. Thanks a ton for the help here. Hopefully it holds up, keeping my fingers crossed.

andrei_r

To make sure it all holds well together, you need to tighten the 2 bolts on the riser and the 2 bolts on your stem real good. After that you could even remove completely that long bolt that holds the top cap and everything should still hold solidly. That top bolt only serves to preload the assembly during installaton, well that and to keep the top cap for aesthetics. I'm glad that my explanations seem to have helped, but I don't want to be responsible for an accident later on. When you're working on this kind of things, its important to understand what exactly you're doing and why to make sure you don't compromise your own safety. There was a very good page showing how to install a stem somewhere. I'll try to find the link and post it here.

andrei_r

Now that was a much more intelligeable explanation DorkDisk :-).

I did have a 1" threadless headset once on a fairly recent low end bike. Must admit that it was a steel frame however.

bones9210

I was in the same boat as you until i bought a $200 dimondback hybrid with suspension.
Short answer: no one is saying go all out and get a custom road bike. to go with your analogy, woulds you recomend a beginner photographer a $50 camera/camcorder? or a $200 point and shoot with a decent zoom and features?
long answer: First of all, i would suggest saving up for a few months for a $400 range, (maybe escape 3, $360) as you are paying for better customer service and most likely a gurentee that your bike will be assembled by a proffessional especially if you dont have any experiance
second of all: what are your goals? I had a 10 year old way to small mountain bike, and i just wanted a bike that would fit me (6 foot 1). Shortly after my purchase,i realized it would be nice if i could get around a little faster, and not have suspension weighing me down. so now im looking into an escape with no suspension and road centered tires.

Phantastical

Seems like some people here do not like reading beyond the first post in topics lol

I already got my bike a couple weeks ago, even installed a stem riser for the handlebars. Schwinn Varsity 1250 hybrid for $200. It's been great so far especially for the price. Only real issue has been the front brakes rubbing occassionally, they don't seem to want to space properly.

bones9210

yes i noticed right after my post lol

Lovespicyfood

I have been eyeing this varsity 1250. I have a cruiser for grocery runs with a large basket and a rear rack. It is seven speeds and I find that I could use more gears, mainly for higher speed.

Can you tell me if the Varsity 1250 can accept a rear rack? Does it have the drop outs for a Rack?

DBrown9383

I'm all for the inexpensive Schwinn bikes. They are not disposable junk but most will say they are. With a little work they can be very serviceable bikes. Low end components for sure but those can be upgraded later on if needed. My tourney groupset works great