oldschoolbike

That's probably an issue after such long service. It's a PITA to inspect for, with having to remove the tape and lever from one side to extract the bar. I am looking for a shorter/shallower bar that I can thread through a 1/A though, so maybe that's in the cards for sooner rather than later. Part of getting older, I guess. Those deep drops sure look manly but I am not on them much lately.

I have found stock replacement pinch bolts available for a reasonable price. Maybe I should buy two. Clearly a new one should be lubricated when installed, to maximize the pinch force for a given applied torque.

I did remove and inspect the current one. Most of the Allen key broaching is good, only the top 2 mm is damaged, leaving about 5-6 mm for good grip. In retrospect I realize the issue: The socket faces back toward the headset, and there can be limited room to maneuver the Allen key to proper alignment for full insertion. A few times over the last 30 years I probably was short on patience and applied torque before inserting the key fully.