I decided to try out a mustache bar setup on my Ciocc I'm building up right now. So I went with a smaller stem I had over the 100mm Cinelli 1A stem I had on it. I had a 60mm SR stem I acquired in a trade. So I just tossed it on and it completely changed the look and feel of the bike. So I jump on to arrange the levers and I thought my stem was loose. Everything was tightened up but I could flex the stem enough that I'd be leery of doing some aggressive riding.

Has anyone come across this with stems? I thought with the short 60mm stem it would be pretty stout but it feels the complete opposite. It's below the minimum insertion line so it's not sticking out without enough material in the steerer tube. Is it just the SR stem?

If you're running Nitto mustaches, I find Nitto Moustache bars to be pretty flexible. Sure it's not those that are noodly?

I once bent some Nitto Porteurs. Definitely not up for aggressive riding.


Hulk bend handlebars. Hulk sad by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr

I didn't think it would be the bars but I can't rule them out. Their Surly mustache bars.

I found Cinelli 1A's to flex and creak. I usually ride with a 120cm stem so I just accepted the characteristics of the stem. I did prefer a Cinelli XA stem as I thought they flexed less.

The Belleri stem, the one with the gorgeous taper, is a total noodle. Not dangerously so, but it's pretty flexible.

The Cinelli I've never had a problem. I had to switch to a shorter stem and just had this 60mm SR stem to use with these mustache bars so I wouldn't be looking like superman riding this bike. lol. What I found is that it's neither. The stem is just a hair too small in diameter for the steerer tube. So it has just space between the neck of the stem to allow some play. The stem is also kind of tall so I have it completely bottomed out and wedge is near the bottom of the steerer tube.

Now I can't decide to run my shifters on the downtube or pick up some barcon adapters. Decisions...decisions.

funny, i was just reading an article by a somewhat pompous bicycle component engineer describing "the inadequacies of the quill stem and the consequent invention and proliferation of the threadless headset and bolt-on stem". according to him there was a precession action caused by the angled split plug design of the quill stem.

it seems to me though that the precession around the split bolt anchoring point is a consequence of stem manufacturers "cheating" on the outside diameter of the stem so as to accommodate all steerer tubes at the same time that steerer tube manufacturers were "cheating" on the inside diameter for similar reasons. although, to be fair, i imagine most of the cheating was being done by the stem makers inasmuch as the tube manufacturers have compelling reasons for adhering to standards.

anyway, as has been mentioned, it may help explain the looseness...

Maybe the SR stem is for French Bikes, or old Schwinns? I'd pass on that if it's smaller diameter.

Height is pretty easy to fix with a hacksaw, though, assuming it's a diagonal style quill.

I just had a customer bring me a very nice 531 Windsor which he bought new in the late 70's ( full Suntour Cyclone). He had the bike to a shop about a year ago to switch from the original drop bars to a set of North Roads ( he's in his late 70's now) & to have the headset serviced. They told him he needed a new headset & stem to make it work right ( Red Flag on the headset should have told him to stop right there) and so he agreed for them to do the work. Fast forward a year when he tells me the bike won't steer right and asked if I would check it out, sure no problem I tell him bring it in. What I found was the headsets lower cup not completely seated against the head tube and that they split the amount of bearings between the top & bottom to get it to turn ( so half were missing altogether ) and then the stem they installed was not a 22.2 dia but a 21.1 dia stem which had the wet noodle feeling. I had a stem shim and installed it along with a new Hatta headset and he was very happy with the job and couldn't believe what the other shop had done, he took the headset and was going back to the other shop to voice his complaint at what I had found.

I would bet it's the bars, mine flex a LOT!

very disturbing at first, but once I got use to it...FREE suspension!!

But not made for aggressive riding, but I didn't build this bike for that.

All traditional forged quill stems are noodly. You've exacerbated the feeling with those noodly mustache bars.

In comparison to Steel Cinelli or similar stems, yes. but not so much to feel without control. If one experiences that, it is time to look at all the steering components.

A comment on new threadless stem / steerer assemblies. While watching the last World Cup track events I was surprised at the number of bikes that creaked before the riders were out of the saddle, it would have made me back off. These riders obviously were adapted to it.

By far the flexiest stem I ever owned.

This pretty DA stem.



BTW Gary, I agree. The Cinelli 1a is a real creaker, especially set up with a nice wide bar such as a Nitto Noodle.

I've experienced the sloppy stem problem. I really noticed it after installing wide Kalloy trekking/butterfly bars. It was a Schwinn I-beam stem on my Schwinn Sports Tourer. I cut several different sized shims from an aluminum beverage can, and tried a few until I got it just right. Worked quite well, and continues to work quite well, after about 2K miles in the nastiest winter weather.


This was just after the rebuild - bike actually looks a lot better now with 2 years of nasty winter riding/grime/patina. I need to take a current pic.