I've used two so far on other bikes and got another for a frame build up. Unfortunately the bar clamp bolts bottom out before securing the bars well. Curious if anyone else has had a problem securing bars with them?
I had the first on on a Cross Check with the 26.0 Nitto bars tightened to what I thought felt secure. Hit a hard bump and the bars rotated down a few degrees. I was able to tighten the bolts a 1/4 turn after than and it's been secure since. On the latest one I got similar 26.0 Nitto bars that had been secured by a Bontrager stem and decided to go with VO stem for aesthetic reasons. I did the same thing, tightened until it felt secure but then put all my weight on the bars and they rotated down a few degrees. I went to tighten two of the bolts as the other two were bottomed out and they also bottomed out. I'm not sure if the clamp area provides adequate friction, the clamp is too flexible or the clamp is machined too large. Either way both the bars and stem say 26.0 and they're new but the little 4mm bolts are bottomed out securing the clamp piece against the stem as well as the bars but there's absolutely no gap to tighten any further.

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/...cb8011a6b8.jpg I pulled this image off of google. It's a 6degree rise.

Digital calipers ..... use some or get some. This way you can measure everything.

Call Velo Orange.

my old cheap calipers are rusty, all three VO stems say 26.0, two Nitto bars say 26.0. the bar clamp pieces on both stems in use on two bikes are within one or two papers width of bottoming out. This third new one is on a one year old Nitto bar and it's bottoming out. Without calipers I'm guessing that the bar clamp piece is simply a smidge too large. Filing the face of the bar clamp piece might be an idea.

My VO 25.4mm stem has about 1mm clearance top and bottom between the cap and stem with Nitto Randonneur 25.4mm clamp diameter bars installed. This was also true with the same bars in a VO 26mm stem using the 26.0mm stem to 25.4mm bars shim that VO offers. No noted bolts bottoming out.

Regardless of the bars listed diameter I would double check them. If the bolts are bottoming out in the stem threaded holes I would shorten them very slightly, only 1mm or less. Be careful to not bugger up the threads on the bolts when doing so.

I would not recommend filing the clamp area of the stem AT ALL !! You need every bit of material there.

Shortening a bolt in this situation would be fine, as they will have plenty of threads on the stem .

I would be hesitant to even mess with it. Obviously you got either a mismarked are just poor quality controlled stem, for which Velo Orange should send you another, at their expense.

Analog calipers are cheaper and never run out of batteries.

I guess I used the wrong term, the bolts aren't hitting a fixed bottom in their threads not allowing any more turns but that the clamp piece is bottoming out on the stem resulting in no more pressure upon the bar.

Not the clamp area, that would make a loose fit even looser, I mean the face of the clamp piece that is touching the stem where there should be a gap.

Lee- give us a call or email today about this.

Tom
443-949-9923 direct line

dang Tom, I'll stop on by today!

update, apparently I'm suffering from Partzheimer disease and I've got two 25.4mm bars and didn't realize it. Time to get some new calipers.

were the bars mis-marked - you said they had 26.0 stamped on them?

Nope, they were Nittos that didn't have 26.0 or 25.4 stamped on them. Totally my confusion starting from day one. I do need to get a new caliper.