Changing stem/bars

Ilovebighills

Hi all, i've recently got a 2nd hand dawes giro 300 to see if i like road biking before making a more substantial investment.It needs slightly tidying up(bar tape etc). Anyway i've ordered new tyres and saddle, gonna change the stem, primarily because it's just too high. It has a rise coming straight out of the head set for about 2/3 inches then angles upwards/outwards from there. It's welded together so the whole thing needs to be changed. Basically I just want a lower stem/headset. If anyone could advise on how I go about changing it, e/g what I need to have a lower set up at the front. I don't want the vertical(ish) bar, just the stem at the meeting of the frame, save for a couple of spacers.

I am sorry if this has been explained really badly I can't get a photo to describe it better.

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I

Ok, imagine the two lines joined together, and obviously a less steep angle on the top line, if that helps to describe what I mean :oops:

Many thanks.

keef66

Sounds like you have a quill type stem in a threaded steerer. Is it secured by a single bolt in the top such that if you loosen it and tap it downwards you can slide the thing up and down to adjust the handlebar height?

If so you can replace it with another quill stem with a horizontal or downwards angle. Planet X have some cheapo alloy ones I think would do, eg

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/ST3 ... quill-stem

Ilovebighills

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Yes, that's exactly right, would it not be possible to change to the more familiar set up of something like this ?


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Simon Notley

Yes, you could change. You'd need an adaptor which fits into the fork (like the quill stem does now) and sticks out the top (mimicking the steerer tube in your picture). You could then fit a stem as shown.

How low can you get the stem just by adjusting it as suggested above? that might be enough. Or you could swap for another quill stem from ebay or put up a wanted in classifieds. There must be a surplus of the things in people garages.

c0ugars

No it wouldnt, unless you changed fork and headset, cause your current set up is a threaded fork and headset it will cost more money that its worth to change everything over. The picture you attached is of a threadless fork and headset. I hope that made sense.

Ilovebighills

Ok looks like i'll have to have a look for a much lower quill stem on ebay, hopefully i'll find something fairly cost effective. This is only a temporary bike to see if I take to being a roadie before I spunk around a grand on a bike!
Thanks a lot for the help lads.

keef66

Yep, as Simon suggests, you could get an adapter to turn your threaded steerer into threadless, and buy a clamp on stem.

Cheapo quill stem's probably cheaper given that it's a temporary bike.

Either way the only further complication is finding out what diameter steerer you have. Threaded steerers come in 2 flavours; 1 inch and 1 1/8 inch. You need to get the right size quill stem or adapter for your steerer.