The age old question - 26.0 stem with 26.4 bars?

[veggieburger]

I'm sure this has been asked a bujillion times before but...

I have a lovely pair of 66-44 Cinelli bars that I plan to use with a 2-bolt 3T stem. My brain tells me as long as the stem bolts clear the bulge, I should be fine.

Anyone have issues using the 26.4 with the 26.0?

Thanks!

[wallymann]

assuming you can get the bars to fit w/o appreciable deformation of the clamp.

[cmbicycles]

The stem probably wouldn't grab around the full circumference of the bar if it is a true 26.4 (actual measurement, not just stated size) and 26.0 stem. As mentioned above, if it doesn't cause any weird bulges it could be alright, but if it's my teeth I'd find the right size stem or bars. Is this a removable faceplate stem, or one of those bottom plate, bolt up deals?

[Hindmost]

Don't listen to your brain. There are only down-sides to doing this.

[veggieburger]

Originally Posted by cmbicycles

The stem probably wouldn't grab around the full circumference of the bar if it is a true 26.4 (actual measurement, not just stated size) and 26.0 stem. As mentioned above, if it doesn't cause any weird bulges it could be alright, but if it's my teeth I'd find the right size stem or bars. Is this a removable faceplate stem, or one of those bottom plate, bolt up deals?

Removable faceplate. Figure I'll know pretty much immediately if the two work ok.

Had a buddy race on a 26.4/26.0 combo for 4 years without incident, but he might have just been lucky.

[oliver1850]

My experience with removable faceplates is that they conform pretty well to minor differences in bar diameter. I've used ITM stems that were advertised as 25.4 with 26.0 bars with no crimping or issues. I suspect ITM had a nominal diameter of 25.8 on their road stems, but it's almost impossible to get any kind of accurate actual measurement on a stem with a removable faceplate. A Cinelli bar with a sleeve is pretty stout in the clamp area.

[ultraman6970]

THe other detail is that Cinelli back in the day was not like super accurate in the measurements, so there is a large possibility that it will work just fine with a removable faceplate type of stem.

[Gummee]

My last track bike had a 64-40 bar and a 2-bolt faceplate stem.

Found I had to chamfer the edges of the stem/bar area to get it to work. IOW there was a little interference at the edges of the 'split' where the stem and faceplate met

HTH

M

[FlashUNC]

I wouldn't.

[lhuerta]

you will be fine....do some fine sanding on the inside edges of face plate and stem (at bolt posts) as you would when interfacing a stem to a carbon bar, to insure that the stem doesn't not BITE into the bars. Do not over torque.....remember that max torque stamped on your stem is NOT recommended torque.