1 inch quill stem for 31.8 bars

[gattonero]

Re: Re:

Back in the 60s when bikes were all dead simple we used to open the handlebar clamp perhaps 2mm with a wooden wedge, could be plastic now.
The bend of a handlebar is slightly oval in cross section, and we now had a slightly oval hole in the stem. By lining these up the handlebar could be inserted with minimum, or no damage.
Keith

Well, I prefer the "dead simple" of today when you can replace the stem by opening the whole faceplate.
2 minutes, versus the "remove all the bar tape, cable, brake lever from one side and slide away the bars" of a traditional quill stem with closed bar clamp :?
Don't get me wrong, I still use some bikes with quill stems, but its a pain when you have to try a different stem to fine tune your position.

To remove the bars from traditional quill stems, very often a Brooks saddle spanner (it's flat and wide) does the job of spreading the clamp. The bends of the bars should always face the bottom side of the stem when passing through.