How to adjust handlebars?
 

I want to lift the handlebars on my bike up a little bit because I'm uncomfortable with them this low. I tried loosening the bolt thing (I don't know the name of the parts) but there are two (the second one is on the other side that isn't pictured), one would come out and the other wouldn't. The one that wouldn't come out I am assuming is supposed to like, help keep the other one in. With only removing one, the handlebars won't move at all. If you know how to adjust the handlebars, I would appreciate some help.

Some expert may reply, bit my wife has a stem like this. I don't remember details, only that it was finiky.

But You should be able to adjust the angle without removing anything, just loosening.

Yeah, I tried loosening stuff and it didn't do anything. By the way, do you know what kind of stem it is? That's a question I forgot to add in there.

The only bolt you should have to loosen is at the pivot point of the stem (with the black washer around it in the picture). You may have to use a wrench from each side to loosen it until the stem moves easily. Position it at the desired angle and retighten. You may also have to loosen the other end of the stem to readjust the handlebars once the desired stem angle is set.

Randomly "loosening stuff" is rarely productive.

I wasn't "randomly loosening stuff" I was loosening the bolt thing that's like right in the middle of the picture.

I assume there some "indents" for each number. When the bolt is loose, it may take a bit of effort to move from 1 setting to the next ??

The stem I have like that has an inner bolt and a splined outer sleeve for the pivot bolt. You have to withdraw the splined sleeve, from the side opposite the threaded side, far enough to allow the serrated indents to move to a different position.

Ok. Thanks.

Yeah I guess.

Look up under the bars, too. There is another Allen headed bolt that holds a locking plate in. Do you have one of those that you may have missed?

Added a picture from the bottom of the bars. Sorry it's not a better view.

If this doesn't do the trick there is an accessory called a handlebar riser. Costs $6 from an overseas seller Bicycle Fork Stem Extender Bike Handlebar Riser Head Up Adapter Aluminium Alloy | eBay or $8 from a US source Bicycle Fork Stem Extender Bike Handlebar Riser Head Up Adapter Aluminium F6N2 | eBay
The one you find in most bike shops is made by Delta and costs about $20. I used this one on my mountain bike when I wanted to bring the handlebars up and closer to me. https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Alloy-B.../dp/B000FHBED0

The one you have on the bike requires using two metric hex wrenches to loosen it. I tried doing it on an older bike with one of these and couldn't budge the bolt. Some previous owner or bike shop had really horsed down on it when they tightened it.

Ok, thank you.

Ok, thank you.

I would appreciate it if you could leave me alone and let me get the help I need.

I'm 16, nobody considers 16 a grown up. I did spell it out, the website censored it.

ok, one and only one friendly warning... the rudeness in this thread is not acceptable.
either from those posting responses to the op or the op himself...
if there is another example of this behavior, childish no matter the age, the thread will be locked and likely some points issued.

I'm just trying to get help with my bike and shelbyfv keeps going on my threads saying I'm fake and pretty much telling people not to answer my questions. Go check my other thread, New to cycling

You know ... I am not stupid, and I have seen a lot of troll threads here ... but I am also not so fragile in my ego that I will not risk looking stupid, on the off chance that I might actually help somebody.

From what I see, a Lot of posters here really need help.

Fib ... are you trying to change the angle of your bars, or the stem (the piece you pictured above)? Two totally different actions ... though if you move the stem, you might need to move the bars after anyway.

I strongly recommend going to YouTube and looking up whatever you want to do---YouTube has videos on everything from mining and smelting metal to drawing tubes to cutting and welding, .... about everything bike-related from starting with a handful of parts to having built a full bike.

Just search for what you need: "adjusting an adjustable stem," "adjusting handlebars" ... and there will be a bunch of videos---likely you will find one that works for you and your bike.

I ride a Dawes, and have an adjustable stem from a Dawes in some box in my garage. However ... I am too lazy to go look, and you will find what you need faster on YouTube anyway.

If you are a troll ... Well Done! Much better than what we have been getting lately.

As I said, I'd rather try to help and risk looking stupid, than risk alienating someone who wants help.

Or maybe I just like to try to show off how much I think I know and how many words I can type?

I have been taught that the greatest benefit of situations like this one, is that it shows you what is Really inside you---if you care to look, and depending on how deeply you look. These others can post whatever, I don't care. I can look at my responses to them and you and learn about myself, and learn my strengths and weaknesses ... and strengthen my strengths and remove my flaws (hopefully.)

Life is what happens whether we like it or not ... but our Internal lives are what we make of who we are as it intersects with what life throws at us. I don't know how many people on this site see "improvement" as anything more than "biking faster and longer," and/or "seeming more witty than others on the Web."

Threads like this, I can be better, come to know myself better, learn to treat others better. Whatever stimulus gets me there ... shouldn't I be grateful? Shouldn't I use it?

I might be damned slow on a bike, but if I can be honest with myself and others, kind and compassionate towards others, and tolerant of others' faults and flaws and petty attacks ... I really don't care how fast I ride.

Best I can do, as I understand things.

Another option is to help with the topic of the thread, or move on.

I swear I am not a troll. I am a 16 year old girl just looking for some help with my bike that I got for Christmas. I don't know why everybody thinks otherwise, but I'm seriously not a troll. I appreciate you trying to help instead of just being rude like a few other people.

Now, I am trying to adjust the handlebars (I didn't even know you could adjust the stem), I posted a picture of the stem because I thought I was supposed to loosen the bolt thing pictured to adjust the handlebars. I've tried looking up videos, but they all say you have to loosen stuff on the stem to adjust the handlebars. In order to find a helpful video I need to know what kind of stem my bike has. I've only heard of two. Thread less stem and quill stem. I looked them up and couldn't tell which one I have.

to the original question, you will probably have to use two allen wrenches to loosen both sides of the bolt you're dealing with. As one poster mentioned, it's probably got a sleeve and a bolt together in there. Don't be afraid to take it apart entirely to get a good look at what you're working with in there.

Next, be very sure to tighten stuff up nice and securely when you're done repositioning it all more to your liking. If you find yourself at all unsure about the safety of the stem or bars when you're done, take the bike to a local bike shop and ask for help. This adjustment could probably be done in about 3 minutes (and probably for free) if you ask nicely.

Don't underestimate the danger of incorrectly re-assembling/tightening your stem. Imagine your handlebars coming off while you're going 20 mph. Not good.

If you look at the picture you posted, the handlebars are at the far right ... and are help to the stem (the main piece in the photo) by what looks like a plate facing forward with two or three or four bolts (looks like one top center and at least one underneath.) Those would be what you loosen a little to move the bars.

All that will do is allow you to angle the bars back or forward a little , pivoting around the center mount. if you want to do other things with handlebars, you will need to watch more videos.

you have an adjustable threadless stem.

the process to adjust it is probably pretty similar to this video:
this guy talks all about the pros and cons o adjustable stems and doesn't seem to like them.. Won't help you in adjusting it, but it might be good food for thought, anyway:

To make sure we're all on the same page:

http://i.imgur.com/8ZOfEYG.png

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...FE4E&FORM=VIRE Look at about 2:45

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...4B&FORM=VRDGAR

As Goenrdoug noted, you have a threadless adjustable stem (maybe more accurately a threadless headset and an adjustable stem.)

Anyway ... Seriously, go to YouTube and browse videos under the appropriate headings. You will see pretty quickly if the stuff they are working on is similar to what you have.

The fact that two of us were able to find this stuff so quickly tells me that you can find it too .... maybe not so quickly as it would take you longer to figure out if they were working on a bike like yours ....

I think Park Tools has a good series of videos on useful stuff .... but .... as I say all too often to people, "Google it."

One big annoyance I have with people nowadays is that everyone has a smartphone connected to just about all the information in the world ... and nobody uses it. back in the day people had to go to libraries and look through hundreds of magazine articles to find anything even vaguely related, or read half-a-dozen books looking for some info which ended up not being there. (Plus, we had to walk uphill to school both ways in the snow ... even in the summer.) :D

If you don't know the right name for a particular part (like "adjustable threadless stem") we can tell you, and from there you can find more info than you need.

Because I don't have an identical bike, I cannot give you perfect advice for how to fix or adjust every bit and piece, but between the folks here and the Internet we can find enough for you to assemble the answers you need.