will a regular 28.6 stem (with shim) look crap on a 1" steerer?

[sefton1275gt]

I need a new stem to replace this (as its way too long)

there doesn't seem to be many threaded stems with 24.5 steerer fitments.

plus, I'd like to raise the bars (so I'm looking for a riser stem)...which makes things rarer again.

I could obviously fit a 28.6 stem (with a shim)...but I it will look silly....or will the spacers below tidy everything up?

does anyone have any photos?

 

[Gtpulse]

I’ve done it before, never felt quite happy with the result in use. The bike I still have a shimmed stem on still uses 1” spacers for the reasons below. I do think it would look fine with 1 1/8” spacers. The issue I had was how long the shim was as aesthetically the larger spacers make it look fine but you end up with them being able to rattle around if there is any movement in the tension. So you can shim the spacers but then you have the issue of the shim contacting the top of the smaller headset and preventing satisfactory preload of the bearings sorry if that’s not the right terminology. Maybe you can have a play with it and get a perfect combo.

On a side note did you see the wanted ad looking for what I think is your exact bike!

 

[sefton1275gt]

thanks.

(yep, I messaged him as there is one for sale on eBay)

 

[Takingabreak]

I've done this on two bikes now and it's been fine. Both times I shimmed the entire exposed part of the steerer and used 1 1/8 spacers and stem.

One of these needed a canti hanger, so I used a 1 1/8 one of those with the notch located in the shim gap.

 

[sefton1275gt]

I've done this on two bikes now and it's been fine. Both times I shimmed the entire exposed part of the steerer and used 1 1/8 spacers and stem.

One of these needed a canti hanger, so I used a 1 1/8 one of those with the notch located in the shim gap.

I might do exactly this (you just cut the shim down to the exact height of the exposed steerer)?

 

[Takingabreak]

I might do exactly this (you just cut the shim down to the exact height of the exposed steerer)?

Yes cut the shim if needed. On one of the bikes I did the steerer was quite long so I needed two shims with one of them cut down. The other bike I got lucky and the shim fitted nicely without cutting

 

[ishaw]

If it helps, I have lots of 1 inch spacers which are quite fat and help with the aesthetics of running a shimmer stem. Silver or black in the stash. May also have quite a long shim somewhere.