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ooops...i got a stoker stem!?

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ooops...i got a stoker stem!?

Old 10-12-20, 10:23 PM
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ooops...i got a stoker stem!?

i bought this stem off ebay. turns out it's a stoker stem though it was not advertised as such. really, i thought it was a threadless dirt drop stem like i'd never seen before. looks like this....

cool stem, i think. can i still use it, though, as a regular stem. that is what i thought i was getting
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Old 10-12-20, 10:30 PM
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Ha, I use a threadless stem as a stoker stem on one of my tandems! Stoker stems are commonly overpriced, but threadless stems and shims are cheap/free!
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Old 10-12-20, 10:35 PM
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sorry, that doesn't really answer my question.....unless that wasn't your intention?
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Old 10-12-20, 11:46 PM
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Originally Posted by thook
i bought this stem off ebay. turns out it's a stoker stem though it was not advertised as such. really, i thought it was a threadless dirt drop stem like i'd never seen before. looks like this....

cool stem, i think. can i still use it, though, as a regular stem. that is what i thought i was getting
If its seatpost clamp diameter matches your steerer diameter then it should work.

Pretty long stem for dirt drop use however. Also check bar clamp diameter. Most "dirt drop bars" use 25.4. That one might be 25.4 or it may get be 26, could even be 26.4 but that one's unlikely.
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Old 10-13-20, 12:02 AM
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it doesn't match the steerer. it's bigger than 1 inch and smaller than 1 1/8....which confused me once i got it home and tried to use it as it was advertised for 1 inch. so, i made a shim of some thin sheet metal and clamped it to a 1 inch quill adapter. works pretty good, in that regard. and, the bar clamp itself is 26mm.

the image shown is not the stem i have. that's an ebay image i found before posting since i don't have an actual photo image of mine. nevertheless, the effective reach on mine is 10cm. just right, really, for my 55cm top tube miyata triple cross. gets the bars up just high enough without need for any spacers on the adapter save a threadless canti hanger clamp

anyhow, my concern was/is as to the safety of using a stoker stem relative to the amount of forces on the steering since that's not the manufacturer intended design. so, if that's not really a problem, the i guess i'm good to go. thanks!!

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Old 10-13-20, 04:50 AM
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Originally Posted by thook
it doesn't match the steerer. it's bigger than 1 inch and smaller than 1 1/8....which confused me once i got it home and tried to use it as it was advertised for 1 inch.
It was made to clamp on a seat post, probably something around a 26.4 or 26.6. Not a big fan of shimming steering components myself. I've done it on a temporary basis but having face planted into concrete because of a stem failure years ago I try to avoid it.
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Old 10-13-20, 05:07 AM
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Originally Posted by thook

anyhow, my concern was/is as to the safety of using a stoker stem relative to the amount of forces on the steering since that's not the manufacturer intended design. so, if that's not really a problem, the i guess i'm good to go. thanks!!
If the stem was designed with forces in mind, it should be stronger - the stoker probably pulls harder on the bars because they don't (shouldn't) move.

I have a stoker stem for which I have no use - where are they fetching these high prices, I'm all for that.
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Old 10-13-20, 07:40 AM
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What are the inner diameters?
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Old 10-13-20, 07:50 AM
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Originally Posted by thook
sorry, that doesn't really answer my question.....unless that wasn't your intention?
Nice little passive-aggressive move there. In your original post, you didn’t ask a question.
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Old 10-13-20, 01:07 PM
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Originally Posted by conspiratemus1
Nice little passive-aggressive move there. In your original post, you didn’t ask a question.

i did ask a question. i simply overlooked the question mark. to quote "can i still use it, though, as a regular stem (?)". look for it. it's there in the first post right under the image.

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Old 10-13-20, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
What are the inner diameters?
the bar clamp is 26 and the seat post clamp is 26.4 or around that. maybe little less...certainly not more. i'd had to measure again
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Old 10-13-20, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Murray Missile
It was made to clamp on a seat post, probably something around a 26.4 or 26.6. Not a big fan of shimming steering components myself. I've done it on a temporary basis but having face planted into concrete because of a stem failure years ago I try to avoid it.
i know shimming handlebars is common place. but, i did wonder about shimming the steerer. logically would stand to reason if shimming the bar is fine so should shimming the steerer. both see the same forces. otoh, i had thought about using a half round file to make the stems post clamp bigger for 1 1/8 and getting a different quill adapter. i'll give this set up a trial and if it acts like it's going to shift around and such i'll try the filing. thanks!
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Old 10-13-20, 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by thook
i know shimming handlebars is common place. but, i did wonder about shimming the steerer. logically would stand to reason if shimming the bar is fine so should shimming the steerer. both see the same forces. otoh, i had thought about using a half round file to make the stems post clamp bigger for 1 1/8 and getting a different quill adapter. i'll give this set up a trial and if it acts like it's going to shift around and such i'll try the filing. thanks!

Handlebars rotating in the stem is one thing but have you ever had the stem come loose and your handlebars suddenly turn 90 degrees to the bike? It is NOT fun. And you're talking about a lot of filing that won't end up round so you'll lose contact area with the steerer reducing the clamping force plus weakening the stem. I've kissed the pavement, it's not worth saving a few bucks over doing it the right way.
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Old 10-13-20, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Murray Missile
Handlebars rotating in the stem is one thing but have you ever had the stem come loose and your handlebars suddenly turn 90 degrees to the bike? It is NOT fun. And you're talking about a lot of filing that won't end up round so you'll lose contact area with the steerer reducing the clamping force plus weakening the stem. I've kissed the pavement, it's not worth saving a few bucks over doing it the right way.
yes...i have had the stem come loose.....out from the steerer handlebars and all. mid-air, i might add. no...it's not fun. i don't need your lecture....dude. but, thanks for your concerns
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Old 10-13-20, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by thook
..... i don't need your lecture....dude. but, thanks for your concerns
You asked for advice, I gave you advice. That you took it as a lecture is unfortunate and I won't burden you with it again.
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Old 10-13-20, 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Murray Missile
You asked for advice, I gave you advice. That you took it as a lecture is unfortunate and I won't burden you with it again.
well, maybe i misread into your post. if so, my apologies. i do appreciate advice
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Old 10-13-20, 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted by thook
yes...i have had the stem come loose.....out from the steerer handlebars and all. mid-air, i might add. no...it's not fun.
Those baggage handlers are the worst! They throw your bike into the cargo hold in such a way that the stem is forcibly yanked from the steerer due to some inflight bumps? Geez. Ya hate to see it. Gotta get one of these:


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Old 10-13-20, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by scarlson
Those baggage handlers are the worst! They throw your bike into the cargo hold in such a way that the stem is forcibly yanked from the steerer due to some inflight bumps? Geez. Ya hate to see it. Gotta get one of these:



haha...what? i was referring to my childhood days of bmx bikes when i just started learning how to wrench on my bikes. one day i took a huge jump off a drainage ramp. i did not ride my bike home..lol

that is a cool carry case, though
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