Fitting a stem to bars - going round the bend aaagh!

[severnthheathen]

I've been trying in vain to fit al old GB stem to some Cinelli Giro d'Italia bars. The bend on the bars seems to be too acute for the stem to travel round the bend. The stem clamps with a nut and bolt so I cannot use the coin trick to expand the clamp. Is there a knack, or do I need a set of matching GB bars?? Help me please.

 

[fun at fiftyish]

Try making a wooden wedge to spread the clamp?,,Mark

 

[Lid]

Or can you get two skinny nuts (on a bolt of course) between the clamp faces?
You then screw them away from each other....

 

[The History Man]

I used a very large screwdriver in the gap with bolt removed. Twist and move at same time in short steps.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

I used a very large screwdriver in the gap with bolt removed. Twist and move at same time in short steps.

This...

 

[severnthheathen]

Thanks guys. I was wondering if I had a mismatch (Italian bars & GB stem) but hopefully with a combination of force, twisting and shouting I might succeed. I've already been smacked in the mouth with the end of the bar tonight - I'll give it another go tomorrow.

 

[cce]

Cinelli bars are generally only compatible with cinelli stems, though that's more about the diameter of the bit the bars clamp to.

 

[bm0p700f]

old cinellis use a 26.4mm clamp area. Some bars have bends which make them tight trying to fit them ease them in wiggle them in normally works. Some stems accapt bars better than other too. 3ttt alien with Deda 215 shallow drop was really really tight but with a nitto stem it was easier.

 

[severnthheathen]

I bet I'll struggle like crazy to get the stem around the tight bend only to find it won't fit over the wider clamping area. I'm good at visualising failure - I've been there so many times before. I might bite the bullet and forget about the Cinelli bars and look for some GB Maes bars instead. Do you think this will guarantee success??

 

[cce]

be much more chance than cinellis. Nothing's guaranteed with daft old bikes tho