Do you use a torque spec tool for your stem?
 

I will be abroad soon and plan on bringing my bike with me, both my handle bar and fork are carbon so I am debating if its a good idea for me to invest in a Ritchey torque key 5nm or if I should just hand tighten and go by feel etc.

What do you guys suggest?

you mean a torque wrench. can be had from any hardware store. some are better than others but they'll do the job. if you're working with carbon it's a very good idea to have one on hand, along with some metric allen bits to fit on it.

I own a Ritchey Torque Key. If your stem is spec'd at 5Nm and the bolts are 4mm hex, then the Torque Key is the best $20 investment you could make–especially for traveling. Get it. You won't regret it.

I use a 4-5-6mm Y-style wrench and my hand. Experienced hands don't need a torque wrench for M4-M6 bolts. I use a torque wrench on the big stuff - bottom brackets and cassette lockrings.

The Ritchey thing works awesome for me as it works on my stem, handlebars, and seat post clamp. I'm traveling now and loved having it.

I go by feel. If the value is a single number, it's going to be the max torque for the fastener which means don't exceed it.

Sorry, when the spec is in in/lbs nobody, regardless of experience, can hit that spec by hand. Big torque (ft/lbs) is much easier to fake.

Definitely get a wrench and maybe some carbon compound. Oh yeah, B.S. on the guessing thing. GL

i'm with DaveSSS on this one.

better yet though, dont travel with carbon bars.

got 1/4" and 3/8" drive torque wrenches when i built up my pedalforce cg1. i used them to bring all my other bikes into spec. (damn they were off)

Spend a few more $$ and invest in a quality torque wrench. It will pay for itself many times over and can be used when wrenching on anything... not just your bike.

+1

I should. I don't.

Am I gonna die?

Of course I'm gonna tell you to get a proper torquing tool.

Personally though...I work on airplanes for a living and every damn nut, bolt, and screw has a torque so I trust my calibrated elbow enough to do it by feel.

I never want to fly again.....

Over tightening can be as damaging as under tightening, the correct torque is the torque that was allowed for in the design, anything else is just BS

Yeah airplane mechanics are not to be trusted.

But seriously I meant after torquing ten million screws at work I can guesstimate accurately enough on my bike.

I also own 1/4 and 1/2 in. drive torque wrenches. Thing is, for my bars and stem (and traveling) the little Ritchey product is absolutely a more convenient option. It's preset to 5Nm so it's a really quick solution for torquing these parts to spec.

I own a proper torquing tool. more than one, and I know how to use it. I'm with DaveSSS as well - that number is a maximum, and when I tighten by hand, I find that the stem is properly tightened before I ever hit the maximum torque value printed on the stem. I have also broken one of those expensive titanium bolts by tightening to the max torque value.

Slowly tighten with a y wrench until you are unable to move the stem on the steerer tube, holding the front wheel between your legs.

Oh, additionally, I haven't ever used carbon assembly compound on the stem/steerer. I have never used anything for that assembly, and haven't ever had a problem getting the two apart later.

Get a simple beam in-lb torque wrench and metric allen bits for it. I don't remember where I bought mine... Sears, I think.

damn it, I might just buy a torque wrench kit and just call it a day, about 80 bucks.. damn it, that could go to tires but I do not want to crack my bars or fork.. eh

OP, there are a number of threads on the bike mechanics forum (where this will probably end up) on the whole torque tool vs. feel debate. If you choose to go with a torque tool and specifically because you are traveling, the Ritchey product would be a great solution.

No need to spend $80. Pricepoint has a Sette (rebranded) calibrated, ratchet, click type 1/4 in. torque wrench for $40.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/153...que-Wrench.htm

Works great. The bigger 1/2 in. drive version is only $20! Of course, 1/2 in. drive socket hex and torx bits are not as easy to find as 1/4 and 3/8. Luckily for me there's a McFaddendales nearby.

The Ritchey tool is great, especially when you need to take something with you. They also will be making a 4N-m model available soon (designed for the clamp on their breakaway bikes, but maybe you have other stuff needs 4N-m which is like 35 in. lbs.?).

I also made an adapter so my Ritchey keys will work on bolts that take 5mm wrenches as well. (took a 5mm allen socket and JB Welded a bottle cage screw in where the ratchet would normally go!). I had an ITM stem that had 5mm bolt heads, and also the cable clamps on derailleurs take 5mm and between 4N-m and 5N-m is sufficient for those.