Changing stems

[jusdooit]

Ok ladies I know someone out there has done this. I started riding last season and began having discomfort............ok pain in my upper arms and shoulders. I never occured to me it was the bike. After about a 2 month winter lay-off it started to get better. Now I'm back in the saddle doing about 15 miles a day, 5 days a week and the pain is back. Then it hit me that my stem length is too long. I've talked to a couple of LBS guys and they agree. Call me cheap but the labor prices for making a change seem high. So my question is how hard is it to change yourself? My bike is a farily old (15 yrs) Diamonback. I have the old style threaded quill. I'd like to put on an adaptor and install a threadless stem. How do you know what length you need without investing in a time consuming and expensive fitting at the LBS. I currently have a 90mm stem, I think a 65mm is about right.
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What kind of handlebars do you have? What kind of shifters?
I changed my stem last summer with my husband's help, but it was not something I feel I could have done by myself the first time. We found the bar end shifter to be a bit tricky to get back just right.
Remember, you may only need to take off ONE side of the stuff on the handlebars to change stems.

[Bluetree]

When I had my stem swapped out, I did it while I had my bike professionally refit to a more aggressive, aero position. What I THOUGHT I needed in a stem (and what a few of my friends recommended) was not what I ended up with. And yes, we did try a number of options. And no, it was not something I could have done myself. I don't know how mechanically-inclined you are, but I'm not a gear head and there was no way I could have done it myself.
The carbon stem and the fitting cost be about $200 (I got a club discount) and I couldn't be happier with the result. No discomfort whatsoever.

[spokewench]

Ok ladies I know someone out there has done this. I started riding last season and began having discomfort............ok pain in my upper arms and shoulders. I never occured to me it was the bike. After about a 2 month winter lay-off it started to get better. Now I'm back in the saddle doing about 15 miles a day, 5 days a week and the pain is back. Then it hit me that my stem length is too long. I've talked to a couple of LBS guys and they agree. Call me cheap but the labor prices for making a change seem high. So my question is how hard is it to change yourself? My bike is a farily old (15 yrs) Diamonback. I have the old style threaded quill. I'd like to put on an adaptor and install a threadless stem. How do you know what length you need without investing in a time consuming and expensive fitting at the LBS. I currently have a 90mm stem, I think a 65mm is about right.
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Is it a mountain bike or road bike? You have to disconnect the one side, brakes, shifters from handlebar, i.e. release all the cables; 90 to 65 is really a big jump, but if you can find a 65, it is doable. You will change the way your bike feels as it steers too with a change from a 90 to a 65. It might be that your bike is really too big; but if this is what you have and this is what you can afford, then you have to do it. I do not think I would be able to change a stem if I had never seen it done so it would be hard to tell you how to do it online. You also can change the fit of your bike by not just going shorter, but getting a stem that has a different degree rise than the one you have; or even flip it if it that kind of stem (Some stems can be mounted differently so that the rise is either less or more). You might want to check into a little shorter length and a little higher rise. It just depends on what kind of problem you are having. If you have never done anything like this yourself, you probably need to find someone near you that has some experience to help you

[DebW]

If you want to switch to an adapter and threadless stem, first check that the diameter of your bars is compatible with a threadless stem - otherwise you need new bars too. Removing a quill stem from the bars involves removing tape and plug, disconnecting brake and gear cables, and removing the lever. You may have to buy a special allen wrench to loosen the lever (needs a long reach and good leverage). When you reconnect cables, you'll have to adjust a brake (do you have a 3rd hand?) and a derailleur. But the biggest PITA is retaping the bar, IMO.

KnottedYet did her own stem replacement (or was it bar replacement?) and managed just fine.

[bike4ever]

If jusdooit's current bike has a quill stem, then she has more issues than previously mentioned to move to a threadless stem. Strong chance she has a 1" threaded headset so she would need to change the fork and headset to go threadless.

I'd recommend jusdooit get a fit to find out why she is having shoulder pain.

[KnottedYet]

DebW - I replaced my bars myself. (and it was very cool and a very fun way to spend a lazy afternoon. the shop checked my work for me afterwards to be sure I did it right and the whole thing was safe.)

The shop is replacing my stem right now, to one with more rise and less reach. (I have a grumpy neck) I'm also getting my headset replaced at the same time.

If it were only the stem, I'd have no issues at all with just replacing that myself. I have a threaded stem, no problem. I agree, retaping/rebriftering the bar is the biggest PITA in that endeavour.

I'm not trying to switch to an adapter and a threadless, I'm going for a Nitto ($40) in polished aluminum to match the other silver (seatpost) on Flossie. I don't know if an adapter and threadless would be more work or not, as I didn't even bother to research it since I knew Nitto made a stem the reach and rise I wanted.

[Triskeliongirl]

Changing a stem and bars is very easy. But, why do you want to change from threaded to threadless? Nitto makes threaded stems in a variety of lengths (nitto technomic). Do you know what size clamp your bars take, as I do have an extra 6.5 cm terry t-stem, but it only works on 25.4 mm bars, not the more common 26 mm, with a 1" steering tube. It has a pop-tube too to make bar changes easy. profile H20 and salsa also make some nice threaded stems, but with not as much rise as the nitto technomic.

[jusdooit]

Ok, I have a road bike, the suggestion to go threadless cmae from LBS. As he pointed out if I want to make another change in the future I wouldn't have to go through as much trouble to make the change. One LBS thinks we can get an ok fit without all the techno stuff. I am very mechanical, so the idea doesn't really scare me. I figure if I get in over my head the LBS can get me out of it, as long as I don't break anything. I do have to remove at least one side of the "stuff" to get my bar out.
I'll do some more measurements and get more info later. Thanks for all the input so far.

[Bad JuJu]

I don't know much about threadless headsets/stems, so just asking some questions here. Did the LBS say why a threadless setup would make it easier to change in the future?

I'm accustomed to threaded headsets and stems and they're pretty easy to change. The only pain in the azz is undoing all the stuff on the handlebar, which is not a function of whether the headset is threaded or threadless, but whether you have the kind of stem that opens up at the extension so you can just place the bar in there and not have to remove everything from one side of the bar so you can thread it through.

Again, these are just some things to consider.

[KnottedYet]

If you do the changeover yourself, the labor is essentially free.

A Nitto stem is about $40. (I didn't price any others)

How much is the adapter?
How much is the threadless stem?

I love Andy Pruitt's book for bike fitting. (Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists or something like that)

[bike4ever]

A threadless stem will not mount onto a threaded fork.

[KnottedYet]

are the adapters a pretty bad idea?

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=119&subcategory=1185&brand=&sku=9755&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Road%20Stems

[bike4ever]

We've used an adapter as a last resort primarily for fit only. These offer an additional location for failure. The safest, most secure route would be changing fork, headset, and stem if wanting to change to threadless.

[KnottedYet]

Justdooit- My bike shop ordered my new Nitto based on how I fit on my current stem. Can yours do that for you?

I really like threaded stems, so I'm biased toward you getting another threaded stem for your Diamondback. (and the Nittos are so elegant...):D