Absent biker returning: headsets

"Beemer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a Cinelli "road" headset on my Batalglin frame circa 1996. Is it
possible to fit a "rising 7" (my words) stem instead of my Cinelli ("7"😉
13cm?. In other words I want to lift the bar height but the Cinelli stem
is
at "max"

Yes if one exists.

If you can't find a suitable riser quill (conventional) stem, you could use
a modern ahead stem with the help of a "quill converter". These converters
work well and are simply like the vertical shaft bit of a conventional quill
stem with a suitable top for clamping an ahead stem to. A stem designed for
1 1/8" threadless forks is easliy converted to 1" with a shim (usually
supplied).

Matters would be complicated though if your handlebar central diameter is
the old Cinelli standard of 26.4mm. Modern non-oversize road stems and bars
are 25.8 or 26.0mm. I would replace the bars as well if this was the case.
25.8 stems with 26.0 bars and vice versa are OK.

Note that most MTB stems and older road stems are for 25.4mm bars.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>

Beemer said:

I have a Cinelli "road" headset on my Batalglin frame circa 1996. Is it
possible to fit a "rising 7" (my words) stem instead of my Cinelli ("7"😉
13cm?. In other words I want to lift the bar height but the Cinelli stem is
at "max"

Something like this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160010621069
will probably give you the extra height you want, but ISTR that Cinelli
bars were 26.4mm diameter (and standard road bars 26.0mm) and this is
25.4mm (standard for flat bars) so you'd have to have it bored out to
fit.
An alternative is to fit an Aheadset adaptor, which will give you a
choice of angled stems but still won't fit your existing bars - you
could go oversize and shim it, but again I don't think you'll find shims
for 26.4mm.

Beemer said:

I have a Cinelli "road" headset on my Batalglin frame circa 1996. Is it
possible to fit a "rising 7" (my words) stem instead of my Cinelli ("7"😉
13cm?. In other words I want to lift the bar height but the Cinelli stem is
at "max"

Beemer

Hi Beemer,

Cinelli (and one or two others) used an "odd" handlebar diameter of
26.4 up until about 1998.
If you do have this larger size handlebar diameter, you're probably out
of luck - you might just about be able to get *a* stem, but you may not
be able to get your choice of lengths or rise.
If you don't get lucky and find one to suit, you'll probably have to
get new handlebars to match the new stem - not the end of the world,
nice bars are not too expensive, e.g.
http://www.rainbowinternet.net/shops/cyclingbargains/catalogue/category13/product479

Do check the diameter though - Cinelli did also make some stems and
bars in standard diameter (25.8/26.0mm) back then, so you may be in
luck and only need a new stem.

Sometimes the diameter is stamped into the bars near where they clamp
into the stem - look around the maker's logo (if there is one) on the
bars. If it's not there, the only way to know for sure which size you
have is to measure the handlebar diameter in the area that it is
clamped into the stem with a calliper - if you don't have one yourself,
most good LBS will.

1" quill stems for standard diameter bars are still available, though
again, the choice is a bit more limited than it used to be. I needed
more rise in the stem than was available, and ended up having to use
the angle-adjustable stem from a road hybrid bike - works well, but
it's a bit heavy, and ugly as sin.

As an alternative, there are adapters available to allow you to mount a
modern "aheadset" type stem onto your old fashioned forks.

AUSHTA, good information on the various types and standards is
available here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_st-z.html#stem
and in particular here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html - a whole article on the
option for raising your bars.

hth,

bookieb