Customer Reviews

Sunlite Steel Touring Stem, for 1", 22.2mm quill

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So here is the thing... it's a ten dollar stem. In that context it gets four stars for existing and matching its description. It is not light; it is not smooth; it sort of looks like it was welded by lemurs wearing mittens. The weld joining the stem to the quill on mine looks like it had some bubbles in it, but, and I'm no welder, it seems to have its structural integrity intact. Having said all that, it is a long stem. It's a problem solver. Get it to put on cheap bikes that currently make the rider hunch over. I put it on my wife's inexpensive cruiser and she loves the improved fit. I suppose one important suggestion would be to not use this stem for *rough* off-road use; I don't think it's intended for that.

The quill (the part that goes down into your bike's head-tube) has a diameter of 22.2mm (7/8"). Sometimes this will be referred to as a 1" stem, which is confusing, but that refers to the outside diameter of the steerer, which is the top part of the fork that goes inside the head-tube (you can't see it on an assembled bike). The stem's quill needs to match the inside diameter of the steerer, hence a stem designated as 'a 1" stem' has a diameter of 7/8". To make matters more confusing, the other common size of stem has a diameter of 25.4mm, which *is* one inch, but is often designated as 'a 1 1/8" stem,' again referring to the outside diameter of the steerer.

The clamp on this stem (the part that goes around your handlebar) has an inside diameter of 25.4mm, or one inch. This seems to be a common size for mountain bikes, cruisers, comfort bikes and the like. Most drop bars, common on road bikes, are 26mm in diameter and will obviously not fit in a 25.4mm clamp. I did not have any trouble with the clamp fitting a 25.4mm bar. If you find yourself having to over tighten a bar clamp, it's probably a good idea to get a shim.

Giving credit where due, most of this I've learned from Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary (easy to find with a search engine) combined with observation and trial and error.

On an assembled bike it's probably easier to measure the circumference of your existing stem and handlebar and then convert to diameter. This is probably off by a hair, but it worked for me.

Quality of this stem is not great. I had to lap the handlebar clamp area to get it to grip the bar hard enough. Any tighter and I think it will break. Other than that issue it appears to work well. It is cheap and very tall, which is exactly what I was looking for.

This stem allows me to sit in a more upright position on my road bike. Easy to install.

I was a very active recreational road bike rider until I messed up my neck. I didn't ride for two years, but I finally read about converting your road bike into a commuter bike. This stem, plus some North Road bars (also from Niagara) and new brake levers and I'm back in business. I don't look as cool (if I did), but I'm more comfortable being upright, and it certainly beats not riding at all. My speed is actually pretty close to what I had before. Still looking for a better seat, sitting upright puts more pressure on your butt than the lean did. Overall a great purchase..

I have a ten speed bike and the stem was short as all ten speeds are. Since I'm not a biker and I do more casual biking I didn't like the height of the handle bars so I purchased a higher stem for my bike. The height is perfect for an upright sitting postion. Now I'm more comfortable on my ten speed and able to ride it more often.

Definitely a matter of function over form. Not that it looks bad, It just looks like a quill stem from the 80's.
To get a "pretty" version you just need to pay 4-5 times as much.
Over all I would recommend this quill stem for anyone who is tired of bending over to reach the handle bars.

The Sunlite Steel Touring Stem, for 1", 22.2mm quill is PERFECT if you are tall and want plenty of adjustment to raise your handlebars! I bought 2 of them and installed 1 on my 27" Schwinn Traveler frame and the other on my Raleigh 25 1/2" frame (both have touring handlebars). Very strong & stable with bars raised up 6 to 7 inches! Nice chrome finish on the steel and as light as the alloy stems I removed! The made my rides so much more comfortable! GREAT price and I HIGHLY recommend!

decent quality for the price. be sure to double check your stem diameter, there are 2 sizes!

I purchased this for a 1980's road bike which happens to be my first drop handlebar experience. The drops were just too low for me even with the stem at its highest. My bike also does not have the type of brake hoods comfortable for resting your hands on. This stem places the drop part of the handlebar at a very comfortable position. Since I am more interested in hand comfort than speed, the high handlebar position works very well. This stem is perfect if you have an older drop handlebar bike and ride on the top of the bars most of the time. The only drawback is that the top of the bars are now a bit too high. This stem is heavy, but if you were concerned with weight, you probably would not be looking at this item. As stated in another review, the welding and finish are not perfect, but my rating is based on functionality and cost. For $10 I converted a bike I did not like to ride into one I ride regularly.

I ordered this item from Niagara Cycle, but it was welded incorrectly. I contacted Niagara Cycle via email, they sent me a new one in about a week and a half at no charge to me.