Just to clarify: my stem is TIG/steel and has a four-bolt face plate. It's the 90-190 that Riv sells, not a Tallux or Technomic or similar. For the latter, I've never had a problem with scratches; I just use a plastic tire lever to pry them open a little bit to slide the bars in.
What I'm talking about is the corners of the face plate being kinda sharp and gouging my handlebars. On Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 6:17:53 PM UTC-7 John Dewey wrote: > And remember, Nitto makes a gorgeous stem tool to pry it open—no > scratches. Should always be close by. > > > https://www.retro-gression.com/products/nitto-stem-spreading-tool-4?srsltid=AfmBOor8r5NTQsBpyFBjBWyUHqQRW0LGQXux2pGJflUTL3856uDFFFvJ > > JD > > On Sun, Sep 29, 2024 at 6:12 PM John Dewey <[email protected]> wrote: > >> + 1 Patrick. That’s the way it’s done! >> >> On Sun, Sep 29, 2024 at 2:29 PM Patrick Moore <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> The usual trick is the pry the clamp open beyond the natural relaxed >>> position with clamping bolt removed, either with a special tool (Nitto >>> makes or made one) or by reversing the clamp bolt and driving it in from >>> the other side against a penny to spread the clamp, or -- not recommended >>> because it can easily slip and gouge something, but I've done it -- using a >>> really bit flathead screwdriver or some other flat, rigid, and long lever >>> as a prying tool. Come to think of it, I do have a small crowbar ... >>> >>> I've gotten 26.4 mm Cinelli Giro d'Italia bars unmarred into 25.4 mm >>> Tioga T-Bone stems with very wide, sharp-shouldered clamps using the >>> reversed bolt and penny trick. The T-Bones were steel so I had no qualms; >>> would *NOT* do this with aluminum. If this works for very curvy drop >>> bars wholly 1 mm wider than the clamp, it should work for Billies and a >>> stem with properly-sized clamp. >>> >>> Or, use the modern easy-way-out: buy a stem with a multi-bolt removable >>> faceplate. >>> >>> Me, with all the talk of long-sweepback bars moving in single-bolt >>> clamps, I'd be loath to put grease on the clamp area that might encourage >>> such movement. >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Sep 29, 2024 at 9:59 AM D H <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> The sleeve of my Billie bars got pretty scratched when installing them >>>> in my new 90-190 stem. I moved the bar where I wanted it while it wasn't >>>> fully tightened, and then i noticed two impressive scratches that looked >>>> like they were caused by the corners of the face plate and of the front of >>>> the stem body. I'm just wondering what happened and if anybody else has >>>> experienced this. This has never happened with all the other stems I've >>>> worked with. >>>> >>>> I'd like to prevent these scratches in the future. Not sure if these >>>> stems are treated with anything, but maybe smoothing out the corners/edges >>>> of the stem with a Dremel or maybe even a Flex-Hone? (They seemed like >>>> they >>>> could be smoother when a ran my finger over them.) Or should I have just >>>> been more careful? It just scratched so easily. Maybe this stem is a >>>> defect? >>>> >>>> And are we supposed to be putting grease at the bar-stem interface? >>>> This situation reminds me of seatposts. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/be783a3c-fc6a-490f-aeee-202b25a3326en%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/be783a3c-fc6a-490f-aeee-202b25a3326en%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Patrick Moore >>> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing >>> services >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* >>> >>> *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* >>> >>> *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgscZM_3K3cF2ND93-Y7dsusArw9Yea34TGwSFkdzRZhUg%40mail.gmail.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgscZM_3K3cF2ND93-Y7dsusArw9Yea34TGwSFkdzRZhUg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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