How To Install A Quill Stem

Maybe Grandpa put your bike together with the fork backwards, maybe y'all need to raise the bars upward to go a more upright riding position, or maybe you're commute's turned windy and you want to slam the stalk to become even more aero. In today'southward post we'll talk quill stems and what y'all need to know to get everything adjusted to your liking. Let's get wrenching!

How They Work

Quill stems are delightfully simple. The shaft of the stalk slips into the steerer tube and an expansion nut holds the stalk in place once the stalk bolt's been tightened!

Sometimes the stem bolt is covered by a plastic or rubber cap. If you don't see a bolt at the meridian of stalk's shaft, you lot've probably got a cover on there. Only pry information technology upward with a fingernail or something and you should expose the commodities.

You'll besides observe a "minimum insertion top" labeled somewhere on the shaft. Brand certain your stem's always in the head tube "deeper" than that line and you lot'll be gear up for miles of easy riding.

Adjustments

That simplicity makes adjustments as like shooting fish in a barrel as turning a wrench. Stride 1 of whatsoever tweak is loosening the stem bolt. That'll retract the expansion nut so y'all can heighten, lower, plow your stem wherever you lot need it to go. Using your allen key (typically a 6mm) give the bolt on the top of the stem a few counter-clockwise turns, just enough that yous can movement the stalk independently of the bike.

One time you're loose, make your adjustments. If you're flipping a fork, just hold the stem in identify while you turn the fork frontwards. If you're raising or lowering, simply gently lift or lower the stalk accordingly.

And once everything'south where you desire it, all you lot have to do is tighten the stem commodities back up! Give that bolt a few clockwise turns until everything's tight again, and y'all're all set!

Easy! And now you're set up to roll.

One of the best things well-nigh quill stems is their adaptability, so play with your set up-up until you've got everything dialed in perfectly. And so it's every bit easy equally taking measurements and grabbing the appropriate parts if you desire to get your other bikes to lucifer.

Happy riding!