I am bringing a couple of early 90's MTB's back to life here at the tail end of this winter and was looking at a possible suggestion for a quill 1 1/8 stem for my 25 year old Marin Team

Bike is Tange Prestige with a factory Ritchey Logic fork and i didnt want to put the ubiquitous threadless stem adapter on there

Bike is a 17" c-c with a 23.5" NORBA style top tube- originally had a 135 stem as well, -- which was great when i was in my 20's --- but now is a bridge too far --

Granted a stubby stem and riser bars is not period correct, but you folks' did well in recommending some Soma/Nitto stuff when i wanted a wider cockpit on a road bike so i thought id ask here first

Thanks in advance

I'd get one like this Sunlite version with a two bolt handlebar clamp.

I much prefer this style with the semi-horizontal removable plate. They make another one with a vertical removable plate that I do not care for. But hey, its what you like that matters.



https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...SABEgIjwfD_BwE


Depending on the color of the bike, this black one is nice too

https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...black-anodized

This Profile stem is in more keeping with the 90's MTB asthetic. Available in several different lengths, too.

https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...-mountain-stem

This one from Origin8 has a 31.8mm clamp, so you can run the 'modern' size bars. High-end 25.4mm bars are getting pretty hard to find these days.

https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...x-31-8mm-black
*Just noticed that one's only listed (@Niagara) as a 1" quill. Most likely, there's a 1-1/8 out there, too.


Still have the 1-1/8 Paoli fork from my 'Tomac Edition' Raleigh. That one's topped off with a 150mm Answer A-Tac.
How in the heck did we ride these things? Oh, yeah, uphill.

I know people here �� �� them but have you given thought to a quill adapter? If you don’t know what size stem you need they make swapping out a bit simpler.

+1
i like the quill adapters personally as well. they give you so much flexibility and they are so easy to swap out. conversely, thy actually dont flex much at all.

Yeah I'm going to need a 1 and an eighth quill for my '93 trek 930 and I think I'm going with a quill adapter.

I'd stick with a period correct quill stem with a rise on a nice frame like that. Maybe a Tioga or Salsa. Swapping MTB bars on 1 bolt stems isn't nearly as much hassle as road bikes with wrapped bars.

Also the OP specifically stated no quill adapters. Why not ask for one in the WTB/Sales thread?

I would do a traditional NORBA style stem (with faceplate) and then go for a moto-style riser bar. Good thing about modern riser bars is that they are wider than traditional narrow mtb bars which means more comfort and control.

Velo Orange Klunker bar, if you want some sweep


Surly Sunrise Bar, if you don't want as much sweep

Wait you mean actually read the OP's post before responding?

i've got a sakae the tube if you want a period correct quill. PM me if you're interested.

The Nitto Mt-11 is brilliant and beautiful....

Damn. A couple years ago I was tearing the entire world apart looking for a 1-1/8 inch quill that was traditionally styled, angled, and clamped. It did NOT exist. And I scratched and begged and asked everywhere. Nope. It was a unicorn that stopped my build.

That thing is beautiful, and perfect. Thank you.

well i did read that but as usual i just thought i knew better. its a sickness i have.

I can also recommend the Nitto B809 handlebars with the Nitto Mt-11 stem. Great setup for an early nineties mtb.

We all share your pain.

Sunlite Stem


Original

I like these suggestions ! Thank you ! Someone suggested a Profile Boa, and is correct about those being in keeping with the 90's aesthetic, -- but not everything about the 90's was good -- LOL

I remember the anodized purple and blue craze too- the bkes really looked cool , that is until they got about 6 months of real use on them and the anodizing started looking tired

Although if i could find an old Tioga T bone with a little bit of rise, that would be nice too, ----

The bikes are really in an era where an adapter and threadless stem would still be totally in line with "period correct" also, but the Tig welded Prestige tubeset on this particular frameset has slim lines compared to a lot of 90's bikes, so i just wanted to accentuate that


Funny, i didnt even want to mess with these things , but a little Centurion bike i aquired recently had an 8 speed brifter conversion on it with a cherry first generation XTR rear derailleur, so that got the wheels in my mind turning

How one nice rear derailleur can morph into a new bike build is beyond me, but it happens

PM if you want this one. Cheap, could use paint.