666pack

i'm not talking about transvestites. i need a couple shims, one to fit a 24.6mm bar into a 26.0mm stem... and one to make a 31.8mm brake lever fit some 26.0mm bars.

these are pretty easily accessible items at a multitude of local bike shops, right?

trons

assuming you mean 25.6 bar, an aluminum can will work...

edit: er... 25.4. what am i thinkin

Aeroplane

24.6mm bars aren't very common (sounds like some old french sizing), you'll have trouble finding a shim for that combo anywhere. Your best bet is to either get new bars or hack it with some hardware store stuff.

31.8 brake levers aren't all that common either (I think the Salsa CX ones are the only ones, off the top of my head). You might find someone who is willing to let theirs go, but I doubt a bike shop will have them in stock. Though you might get lucky, who knows?

666pack

my bars are most likely 25.6... my error.

the salsa cx levers come with thier own shim, but i just picked up some tektro cx levers for cheap on ebay (cane creek also makes a 31.8 cx lever). it doesn't say they come with a shim as the salsa levers do.

filtersweep

I am using a shim on my bars (at the stem) and the bars creak when I am out of the saddle. Drives me nuts.

littledjahn

Your bars are probably 25.4, and Nitto's got just thing for you here.

ryanlovesyou

I use an aluminum can shim for my handlebars/stem and I've had no problems at all. For my brake lever, I needed to shim as well, so what I did was just kinda handmake a thick shim out of electricians tape. It works perfectly, doesn't slip, and probably won't mark up the bars anymore. I don't know if it would work on a more high pressure spot such as the stem, but it might not hurt to try it out.

666pack

stopped by my lbs today.

they have every size, shape and style of shim i could ever want.