Hi everybody

I am putting a bike together for a month long tour in Europe and I am having a bit of trouble with my cockpit.

I want both a handlebar bag and aerobars, so I am using two stems.
Problem is, that I bought the frame and fork secondhand, and the guy I bought it from cut the fork-stem quite a bit.

I recon the best solution would be a stem-extender, but I am pretty much all out of money right now.

So, from the look of the pictures, how stupid is this setup you see in the pictures?
One third of the upper stem is not gripping the fork-stem.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Well, I'll bet that stem manufacturers would have used only one bolt if it were sufficient. I would be concerned about the stem working loose with stress and vibration and coming loose suddenly and unexpectedly. If the bars were on the lower stem and only the handlebar bag, etc. were on the top one it might be alright. I would not ride a bike set up the way yours is, especially on a tour.

If you don't have money for a stem extender, will you have money for medical attention if the jury-rigged stem comes loose? Bars coming off in your hands is only funny in cartoons.

Yeah, makes sense. Darn it
I'll wait for an extender, thanks for replying!

That, or condition yourself to ride with the handlebar lower and switch those stems around.
Edit: Although, on looking at your photos again, to do that would require your accessory mount stem to be quite a bit longer, and an extender will be cheaper than a stem, so, back to square one.

How much space do you have on the upper handlebar? you can get handlebar extenders, like this https://www.acorsports.com/products_d...i_products=211 you could use 2 of the brackets, and fit a complete or cut down handlebar with them.

alternately find a headset top that's got the cable stop built in and remove that 5-10mm for the cable stop you've got now?

"you can get handlebar extenders, like this https://www.acorsports.com/products_d...i_products=211 you could use 2 of the brackets, and fit a complete or cut down handlebar with them."
Two of those brackets are almost a necessity as I haven't been able to get a single to stay secure for any length of time, they always rattle/shake loose.

"alternately find a headset top that's got the cable stop built in and remove that 5-10mm for the cable stop you've got now?"
Or use a fork crown-mounted cable hanger; helps avoid brake shudder as well. Not sure the additional length (looks more like 5mm) will be enough to get good clamping on the top stem, though.

The lower stem and stub bar are there only for the bag. I would set up the bars that bear your weight absolutely correctly, then worry about how to hang a bag. You should be able to come up with some way to hang the bag off the single bar.

Also, it looks like your brake cable is taking a very sharp 90 degree bend because it hits the lower stem/bar. That's not a good idea as it causes drag and wear on a critical safety component.

I am mounting a Pro Tempo aero bar + a Ortlieb Ultimate5plus, so that wont work.
I've ordered an extender, and hope that will do the job.

A fork crown cable hanger is a great idea, had not thought of that.
Especially since I am having major cable routing trouble to my front brake already.
Will see if I can get one before departure - thanks!

Simpler solution--

Dump the cable hanger and replace with a crown mounted unit.

That will give you proper steerer depth in the upper stem without adding more stuff.

That still leaves 1.5cm space for the top stem.
I need both stems for aerobars and handlebar bag.
...Or maybe I don't understand what you mean by "proper steerer depth in the upper stem"?
Sorry

Looking at the photo where you marked the steerer height about 1cm short of the top of the upper stem, I note that that's close to the thickness of the brake hanger at the bottom of the stack. If you get rid of that you'll realize that 1cm, so the steerer will end within acceptable distance from the top of the upper stem.

There's also a fringe benefit it that it'll eliminate the bad cable bend at the hanger, and improve brake modulation.

If it gets down to a few more millimeters, you can finish the job by spot facing the top of the lower stem and bottom of the upper. Ideally this should be done by a machine shop, or a hobbyist with a lathe or milling machine, but can also be done with a hand file if you have good hand skills. Looking at the photo, I estimate that would get you another 5-7mm.

If you do decide to shave the stems, do not touch the bottom of the lower stem unless you're equipped to maintain the squareness. That surface must be square to properly engage the compression ring. The other three aren't critical, so a decent hand file job will be OK.