26.0 stem with a 25.4 bar?

[veggieburger]

I'm sure it isn't safe to use the larger stem with the narrower bar, but is there a way? Can I make a shim out of an aluminum pop can?

Thanks!

[pitcrew]

I personally wouldn't do it.....but where there's a will there's a way. You wouldn't be the first person to shim a 25.4 bar for use with a 26.0 stem.

There are 25.4 clamp road stems out there. What are you needing stem length wise?

[John M]

You can make your own shim, but commercially produced ones are available.

Link shown for illustration. Your LBS should have it.

http://problemsolversbike.com/products/handlebar_shims/

[oliver1850]

.

[PacNW2Ford]

Nitto makes a nice stainless steel shim set

[Dave Wages]

Nitto shims here; http://www.benscycle.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=188_263_721&products_id=353

[xjoex]

I have used coke can shims, no problems at all.

These days tho I go for the Nitto one, it looks nicer.

-Joe

[veggieburger]

I might try the pop can shim...or if anyone has anything in the 100-120 range, but with a touch of rise....? Or a longer post section??

[weaponsgrade]

I've used an aluminum can shim for a front der. It's been working great.

[pitcrew]

I might try the pop can shim...or if anyone has anything in the 100-120 range, but with a touch of rise....? Or a longer post section??

Threadless? If so, I have a Ritchey WCS 12cm 25.4mm clamp fits 1 1/8" (or 1" w/ shim) steerer. Shim included (if you need it).

$14 to your door, if that works for you.

[67-59]

Been using the Nitto one for a couple of years, with no problems.

[11.4]

The Nitto shim works fine. Usually installing the bars in a mismatched stem with a homemade shim involves some pushing and shoving of the shim to keep it in place. You can frequently remove such a shim later and find wrinkles and folds where it's covered by the stem. That's not pretty as it creates stress loads the system wasn't designed for and also means the stem isn't clamping firmly like it's supposed to anyway. That comment is limited exclusively to beer-can shims. The Nitto shim comes in two pieces, is high quality steel (so it doesn't buckle and can be pushed into place with a screwdriver blade), and is precisely dimensioned.

The only problem with the Nitto is if you're using stem with a rather wide bar clamping surface. The Thomson X4 comes to mind. The shim really needs to have at least a millimeter or two extending outside the clamp on each side, simply so you know it's in position correctly and because the outer edges are typically where the stem needs to clamp the most precisely (and with many modern stems, like the X4, the stem or front plate is recessed so it ONLY clamps in the outer few millimeters of the total clamp width).