Handlebar Shim Question

I did the same thing with a Cinelli stem + Sakae bar on my old fixie, and found it would slip unless
tightened excessively. It worked better with I used a piece of brass shim material from the local
hardware store that was a wee bit thicker than a double thickness of soda can -- I forget the exact
thickness -- and was only one piece. I also put a film of blue Loctite on both sides of the shim
before installing it, and made it a habit to check the bar clamp before riding. This worked OK for
me (felt OK, never slipped) but in building up my current fixie I decided it would be more prudent
to go with a kosher 26.0/26.0 stem/bar combination.

Mike Yankee

(Address is munged to thwart spammers. To reply, delete everything after "com".)

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

Quoted message said:

Looking for a little more reach on the fixed gear, I've dug through the parts bin and pulled out
an old Cinelli steam (1A, I think).

So, when I put it on the Sakae handlebars, it of course slipped.

Buggeration!

Quoted message said:

Drat - must be one of the Cinellis that used a 26.2, while most used a

25.8

Quoted message said:

diameter.

The [censored]!

Quoted message said:

From recycling, I pull out a soda can, which supplies shim stock of an appropriate thickness. Two
layers of soda can thickness seem to do it.

Is this a good idea or a bad idea?

If it works, it's a good idea. If it don't, it ain't - bingo!

Quoted message said:

I can definitly get things tight enough so that it doesn't slip,

Well, that's a start.......

Quoted message said:

but I wonder if I've had to put too much pressure onto the system - I guess it's the way the
little rubber washer has splayed out a bit.

What rubber washer?

Quoted message said:

Just a little nervous about slipping bars on a fixed gear.

Input appreciated!

I'd be nervous of slipping bars _period_.

Shaun aRe

Jim Edgar said:

Looking for a little more reach on the fixed gear, I've dug through the parts bin and pulled out
an old Cinelli steam (1A, I think).

Quoted message said:

So, when I put it on the Sakae handlebars, it of course slipped.

Quoted message said:

Drat - must be one of the Cinellis that used a 26.2, while most used a 25.8 diameter.

Quoted message said:

From recycling, I pull out a soda can, which supplies shim stock of an appropriate thickness. Two
layers of soda can thickness seem to do it.

The old Cinelli standard was 26.4mm, which changed to 26.0mm in the late nineties. All Sakae bars
I've seen have been 1" - 25.4mm. That's immaterial if your shim fits well.

Quoted message said:

Is this a good idea or a bad idea?

I can definitely get things tight enough so that it doesn't slip, but I wonder if I've had to put
too much pressure onto the system - I guess it's the way the little rubber washer has splayed out
a bit. Just a little nervous about slipping bars on a fixed gear.

A well-fitted shim can be reliable. The ideal is obviously to shim the bar to the diameter of the
stem with as few wraps as possible. It sounds as though your bar is still somewhat undersized -
perhaps not enough to be dangerous, but probably enough to be creak-prone. Drinks can material I've
used has measured about 0.1mm, so your bar may need a couple more layers. Open up the stem clamp
gently and see if it will accommodate more shim material. A Vernier caliper is a very useful tool
for the home mechanic, and even a cheap one will be adequate for most bike-related measurements.

In the long term, you could look out for a Cinelli bar to match your stem.

James Thomson

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by James Thomson

B'Jim Edgar said:

Looking for a little more reach on the fixed gear, I've dug through the parts bin and pulled out
an old Cinelli steam (1A, I think).

Quoted message said:

So, when I put it on the Sakae handlebars, it of course slipped.

Quoted message said:

Drat - must be one of the Cinellis that used a 26.2, while most used a 25.8 diameter.

Quoted message said:

From recycling, I pull out a soda can, which supplies shim stock of an appropriate thickness. Two
layers of soda can thickness seem to do it.

The old Cinelli standard was 26.4mm, which changed to 26.0mm in the late nineties. All Sakae bars
I've seen have been 1" - 25.4mm. That's immaterial if your shim fits well.

Quoted message said:

Is this a good idea or a bad idea?

I can definitely get things tight enough so that it doesn't slip, but I wonder if I've had to put
too much pressure onto the system - I guess it's the way the little rubber washer has splayed out
a bit. Just a little nervous about slipping bars on a fixed gear.

A well-fitted shim can be reliable. The ideal is obviously to shim the bar to the diameter of the
stem with as few wraps as possible. It sounds as though your bar is still somewhat undersized -
perhaps not enough to be dangerous, but probably enough to be creak-prone. Drinks can material I've
used has measured about 0.1mm, so your bar may need a couple more layers. Open up the stem clamp
gently and see if it will accommodate more shim material. A Vernier caliper is a very useful tool
for the home mechanic, and even a cheap one will be adequate for most bike-related measurements.

In the long term, you could look out for a Cinelli bar to match your stem.

James Thomson [/B]

I used a shim once on an old pair of bars that didn't fit a stem and it sucked. The bar kept slipping over time.