Cinelli stem (26.4mm) + Nitto Bars (25.4mm) - shimming a bad idea?

Hi

Wondering if anyone is running this combination, with a shim, and if so any troubles they might have encountered with this.

Presumably the nitto shim is tried and tested, but only goes to 26.0mm. I've already UTFS and found conflicting reports on the use of handlebar shims generally, but little about this combination and going for a full 1mm of shimming.

Cheers

M-X

Get a coke can, sorted.

I did this and managed to ruin the binder bolt in the stem.

2 full wraps of coke can will give you 0.5-0.6mm, so you will need 4 full wraps to give you 1mm. It is quite tricky to get 4 wraps of can to stay in place, but it can be done.

double sided tape helps

double sided tape helps

And also buggers up the thickness of the shim. If you add anything, it will stop you getting the correct amount of metal in there. Double sided tape is not shim.

but a little dab of it on the ends helps to keep the shims in place

I have also been rocking the coke can shims and can attest to their effectiveness.

I recently had a similar problem prepping my bike for a track race. I used 4 shims from a soft drink can. I cut each about 1 inch by 3/4 inch with a small bit of each corner snipped off (this made it easier to slip into the stem opening). I started with one and kept adding until I got a firm, solid grip. No need to wrap the whole handle bar or use tape. The bars held solid through several induced applications of adrenalin.

Also running this setip with a can shim, I haven't got quite enough can in there and it slipped to start with but it's been fine since I put in extra and nipped it up.

dredge... i'm not overly thilled with the effectiveness of the can shin method. if i should want to get hold of a purpose made shim for this exact application does anyone know where i could find one?

Hubjub stock the Nitto one, a veritable bargin at £6.50! Machined to fit.

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/nitto/nitto.htm

thanks dude.

oh hang on that's only 25.4 to 26.0. i'll still be .4 short. might ditch the cinelli stem and get something else cheap with a standard clamp size.

ah sorry didn't see that!

Is your bar's a 26? if so, don't worry about a shim.

I run 26 bar with a 26.4 stem, the difference is too small to really have any effect.

I'm a big gay hoser...

hehe!

ed, the bars are 25.4 raleigh north something or other. they're wolly-woofter commuter/vicar style things. gave up with the cinelli in the end. the gap was too big to shim effectively. instead i bought a lovely (and cheap) 26mm 3T stem from shop 14 yesterday which only took a single wrap of grolsch can so make it lovely and snug.

my frame may be a pile of powdercoated gas pipe but at least my stem's got a columbus sticker on it. geddin!

I was thinking about one of those stems for my bike, but from chain reaction cycles - how much did shop 14 do yours for?

Condor sell those too for £25.

nice little stem.

Thanks Ed

I wasn't sure about the look of it at first but it's rather grown on me now. They're on sale at 14 for £20. Had to ask though, they didn't have any on display.

2 Attachments

did you use the nitto shim in the end?

no. to summarise:

cinelli stems = 26.4
cinelli bars = 26.4
most (non-oversize) road bars = 26.0
raleigh bars = 25.4
nitto shim = 0.6
differntial between cinelli stem and raleigh bars = 1.0
differential between cinelli stem and raleigh bars with nitto shim = 0.4

option a: either shim and coke* can required
option b: "lots and lots" of coke* can required

i went with option c: new standard sized stem (3ttt in this case) stem and raleigh bars = 0.4 discepancy, and just a little bit of coke* can required.

*other cans are available.

right i got it now