JacobLee 

Pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but I thought I’d survey the crowd. This Technomic stem came on a Miyata I bought from CL recently. Turns out it had been made to clamp on a 25.4 upright handlebar. Bummer! I then made some little gouges on a 26.0 VO bar before I realized that I was trying to mate unlike things. Would you use either of these pieces of aluminum at this point? I release you of all liability if my clamp breaks or bar snaps. (The goop on the clamp is from an old shellac job)

Road Fan

I suppose that's correct but there may be a way to check it. But if not, be sure you take off the bolts and the wedge and put them into a Nitto spare parts box. First, they may be somethig you can sell. Second, you might need them someday to help get another stem into good condition.

thinktubes 

Stem keep, bars toss

JacobLee 

Would you pry the clamp open? I don’t want to ruin another bar.

thinktubes 

No, but it would be useful to someone. Shouldn't get tossed.

clubman 

Keep both, there's tricks to removing the bar but I don't remember if it works on that one. Someone may pipe up. Reuse stem with proper 25.4 bar and try to buff out the 26.

thook

i had trouble getting a kalloy riser stem intalled onto drop bars. here's what i did

i realize your situation is a bit different, but i'm sure the method will work

JacobLee 

I didn’t specify, but the stem is a 26.0 that somebody used on a 25.4 bar, just to clarify.

thook

i don't see the problem, then

scarlson 

Oh you hardly nicked the bars. Just polish it up with some sandpaper and call them fine. Particularly VO bars are made very heavy and thick. I would have no problem using them again. Stem also. It will all be fine, in my opinion.

JacobLee 

Thanks all! I thought all was lost if you clamped an aluminum stem onto a smaller bar.

thook

far from it. purists might balk at doing so, it's never a problem in reality

i'd like to suggest, however, you read the link i posted. makes installing quills much easier and avoids scratching the bar

JacobLee 

Yes, thanks for that! I checked it out, but will study closely. I appreciate it!

panzerwagon 

Nitto also makes a tool for ease of handlebar installation into a quill stem.

3speedslow

^^That looks like a light bracket!

panzerwagon 

Ha! Yes, it does look like one doesn't it?
This is how it's used:


Nitto 4 stem tool, 1-bolt


There's also a two-bolt version:

Nitto 5 stem tool, 2-bolt

icemilkcoffee 

1. I generally bin Nitto stems (in my parts-bin). I think Nitto is highly overrated. How the heck do you make stems and handlebars for an eternity and still make them so heavy.
2. A 25.4mm clamp can generally be reamed out to 26.0mm. I did it once to a Bianchi stem with a master cylinder hone- it took forever and a half. If I were to do it again I would get a reamer.
3. There are TONS of 25.4mm clamp drop bars. Bikes from Japan tended to use this size.

JacobLee 

Nitto certainly seems like a cautious brand, which is why the consensus seems to be to continue using the stem. I asked the same question over the summer about a French stem that had been similarly over-tightened on a 70’s Motobecane, and the consensus was to chuck it!

You’ll notice they only show the spreading tool being used on steel stems. And again, this is a 26.0 stem, so no need to ream it or use a 25.4 bar (I realize those were just examples of aluminum clamps being flexible).

I guess people trust a heavy Nitto!

scarlson 

Reminds me of a conversation I had with Olivier Csuka. I was showing the Alex Singer guys some pictures of my Colin Laing tandem (1" threaded steerer), set up for touring with the Technomic hoisted high like a telephone pole, and he asked me what brand it was and if I was scared it might break. I replied "non, c'est Nitto" and the whole room was like "ahhh nitto c'est fort". It was great to hear that.

Nitto stems have shed some weight in recent years as aluminum expander wedges became standard for the Technomic, no longer just in the Pearl and Technomic Deluxe. The old cast iron expander wedges added quite a bit. You can buy a new bolt-and-alu-wedge if you feel like counting grams. Another bonus is that I'm not scared to drill the stem out for a bell or a cable. The Nitto guys have even said these holes are ok, as I remember from some issue of Bicycle Quarterly.

thook

some french stems of that past had/have durability issues (eg. atax) which could be why it was suggested to chuck it. and, while they show tool use on steel stems and likely only recommend the tool for them and not alloy, there really isn't a problem for alloy. people have been spreading alloy stems for decades. i mean, i always do when installing. the bolt trick in the link i posted, however, is the easiest way i've found to do it in recent time. beats trying to man handle the stem and tool to spread while simultaneously installing the bar. my two cents...

tkamd73 

I bin all the stock stems, seat posts, and handlebars that come with all the 35+ year old bikes I restore, then replace them with new Nitto components. Maybe I’m being too cautious. However, when selling the bike, I put the old stuff back on.
Tim

SJX426 

Two thoughts:
1. AL doesn't degrade over time so the age really doesn't matter. If it lasted this long and still exists, it is likely to out live you.
2. Not good enough for you but good enough for everyone else?

Just a first impression that is not really directed to you but to the concepts.

tkamd73 

1. I know that, just that most of the items aren’t visually acceptable.
2. Yup, I have higher standards, most want historically accurate. We are talking CV here.

thook

being "cautious" about visually acceptable? hmmm....

scarlson 

Somebody needs a polishing wheel!! Seriously it'll pay for itself the first stem you save from the bin. Not to mention the hours of fun!

I put Nitto stems on when I want the bars high and/or far forward. That's their niche for me at least! I am tall and have long arms, so Technomics go on half my bikes.