Show us your mixte!

[Wahine]

Wow Zen. That's very exciting.

I shouldn't come to this thread. I already have 3 bikes.

[Zen]

and I'm in a spot of bother. i can't get the stem (with handlebars and cables all attached) high enough over the headset to drop it in. It won't angle in either, at least not the way I'm doing it.

What am I doing wrong?

[VeloVT]

Forgive me, I've only read the last page of this thread, so I might be missing something...

But I'm assuming it's a quill stem...

Can you just unbolt the handlebar from the stem (I can't remember what the handlebar/stem attachment looks like on quills), get the stem all settled in and cozy (with the handlebars hanging down on the cables and maybe resting on the front wheel), then reattach the handlebars???

yeah I just googled quill stems. it looks like the usual steel ones have a bolt underneath the bar you can loosen to remove the bar.

[Zen]

Now how do I lock it at the desired height?

Oh Google, you've done it again
http://www.ehow.com/how_14189_install-quill-stem.html

[VeloVT]

I think there should be a bolt on the very top of the stem (where the "leg" of the 7 meets the "arm"). I'll let Sheldon take it from here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html

(you have to scroll down a little but not much)...

I've never worked on quill stems but I've been doing a lot of installing and removing handlebars with threadless setups lately. Same idea...

Removing brifters is a pain!!!!

[sandra]

Because we didn't remove the brakes, it was a little close and tight. We had the same issue taking the stem out, but IT CAN BE DONE. I'm guessing you got it all figured out while I was sleeping. She's a beauty, isn't she!!!

[sandra]

Liza, that link is great. I did NOT realize you could get a stem TOO low. Of course I never have had a problem wanting them lower. Only higher.