hey so I recently started riding again and I'm on an old 1979 trek 412. I want to change out the old bull horn handlebars. So I tried to today but I wasn't able to figure it out! On the new bikes I see the have the stem and the tube, but my bike the stem is attached to the tube. So does anyone know how to do it? Any help is appreciated thanks!

What is the "tube"? Do you mean the steerer tube? Are your handlebar/stem a one piece? Some bars are integrated with the stem, so you will need to replace both. If not, you should be able to loosen the clamp bolt on the stem. This is the bolt near the handlebars. Once it is loose, you should be able to slide the handlebar out of the stem.

Maybe a picture would help.

Sorry for my crap description. Yea steerer tube.

okay so heres how it looks


I unscrewed this bolt thats under


But i wasn't able to get the bars out because the space isn't big enough (see pic)


So i unscrewed this top bolt, but all that did was move around the steerer tube(see pic)


So yea i need help, and thank you

You'll have to undo the tape on the bars, and remove the brake levers, then slide the bars out. Then slide your new bars in, and put everything back together. It's only difficult the first time

so i can slip them out even though there bull horns? Thanks for the help!

Yea, just have to finagle them alittle bit to make sure you don't damage them... Also undo the bolt on the underside. Otherwise it'd be impossible to slide them out. But yea, after you get them out it's basically just pop the new ones on and put everything back together.

okay thanks guys. so just work at it to get the bullhorns out?

oh and if I get the bullhorns out would I be able to slide risers in??

Definitely you would be able to put in risers if they're the right diameter.

One thing i wish i would have noticed the first time i did this:
The stem (7-shaped thing) has a slightly smaller clamping area somewhere. From your pictures, it looks like the front on yours. Keep that towards the inside of the bends on your bars. If it gets hard and starts to drag along the bars, you're doing it incorrectly. I mucked up a nice Cinelli bar forcing it through the stem and was able to slide it right back on, proving myself stupid.

okay so got handle bars out but my others didn't work so I need to put them back in. I am putting the original bullhorns bAck in and got passed the curved horn part but now I'm on the flat middle part of the bars and they won't go in!! The bars get slightly bigger so it won't go in the clamp. Any help on this??

make sure that the clamping bolt on the stem is loose. You might get a little more clearance if you pry the slot open with a flat-bladed screwdriver. also, a little white lithium grease helps too. DON'T RUSH!!

man thanks for the help! Got them in with the screw driver idea!

Now one last question... sorry!

Me being stupid i unscrewed this bolt trying to figure out my handle bars situation


Now i can take it right out and the whole steerer tube can move around, making my handles off center. When i out it back in it just drops right back in, so when i try to securely screw it back in it just keep turning and turning, which does nothing!

Any thing i can do? Thanks!

and i mean that top bolt in the picture

Most likely, you unscrewed it too far and the wedge/expander fell off. Take the stem out, turn the bike upside down and allow the wedge to fall out. Place back on stem bolt and insert into the steerer. While you have the stem out, it is a good time to apply grease.

okay thanks! how do i take the stem out? Once i have that bolt out am i able to just take it out?

the stem should wiggle or lift straight out. Then turn the bike upside down and the other piece should fall out too. I can't find a picture right now to show you, but it's in there. If it doesn't fall right out, take the bolt out of the stem and thread it part way into that other piece, then pull it out that way. Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster may come in very handy here.

ETA: Found the picture! See the wedge-shaped piece on the bottom? You're looking for something like that:

If the wedge is stuck, just tap it w/ a hammer on a screwdriver from the bottom; should just pop out.

ok whew got every thing fixed up thanks alot!!