matching diameter of stem and bars?

[pondweed]

took apart stem and bars, and had to remove lots of crummy bits of rubber in the gap between/around the stem bar clamp.
Measuring, the stem tightened down is about 25.4 whereas the bar seems to be even less than that in places... just below 25.

Presuming I need to open the jaws of the bar clamp up a bit, should I use some brass shim wrapped around to increase the diameter of the bar centre? Or do I ideally need to get a larger bar?

 

[ScillySuffolk]

I doubt your stem is intended to be clamped that tight: look at the gap, it should be pretty much parallel.

Bearing that in mind and that it sounds to have been shimmed with rubber in the past, I think you have a 26.0mm stem and (what were once) 25.4mm bars: what makes are the stem and bars?

 

[pondweed]

The bars are SAKAE SR Road champion. The stem is marked Italy and then a design triangle above with what looks like OTN in...difficult to decipher...

thanks

 

[ScillySuffolk]

The stem is ITM (Italmanubri) who are Italian and the stem Sakae Ringyo (SR) who are (were?) Japanese.

Italian standard was 26.0mm (except for early Cinelli which were 26.4mm). The Japanese adopted the British standard of 25.4mm, before moving to 26.0mm.

Hence the rubber shim bodge.

You could shim the bars with 0.3mm brass stock (try model railway suppliers), but the results are variable at the best of times.

And I'd suggest that having been clamped too tight for who knows how long, both the stem and bars are compromised and you should bin them, unless you get on well with your dentist.

Neither of them are rare/valuable/sought after and you needn't pay more than £15/£20 to replace each part.

 

[pondweed]

Re:

perhaps I'll use it as a n opportunity to get a 20mm more reach on what is a tiny bit small frame...a technomic perhaps.

and I suppose, that give me an open question on what are the best touring bars to go for! I've never been one for actually using the drops, always being on hte hoods or on the flat bits. Buyt I have bought my new levers so they need to be moderately trad!

THanks.

 

[ScillySuffolk]

Nitto M177 "Noodle" are comfortable and have a "classic" bend.

 

[pondweed]

Re:

wow - handlebars - a whole subject on their own. What was ironic was reading a thread on Noodles and finding someone bigging up the SR Road Champion as his all time favorite bar!! I will clean them off and check for cracks...

I wonder whether the Noodle is not a thing to have on this frame where I am trying to get a rangier position (adding length) - I see they curve back toward the rider for the first position?