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Thread: How do I raise the handlebars on my mountain bike? Do I need shims?

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    How do I raise the handlebars on my mountain bike? Do I need shims?

    Got a Marin Bolinas Ridge hardtail MTB. The handlebars look like this:-





    Which bolts do I undo, and is it a simple case of undoing them and lifting the handlebars up or is it more complicated than that (I read that I might needs shims?) And what type of stem is it?

    The articles below have got me confused

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html
    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/reso...charts.htm#fit

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    You should just need to use an alan key on the top part.. just loosen it then pull it up.

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    It doesn't seem to come up.

    If I loosen the top bolt - so its raised by 1.5cm - and pull upwards on the handebars, the steerer tube/cylinder (dark black on photo) still doesn't seem to move - its locked solid into the aluminium frame below.

    Should I be removing the screw completely or something?

    Or I do I need some sort of extender tube like this?:
    http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/c...l.cfm?ID=12550
    Last edited by davidstone28; 01-01-2007 at 11:59 AM.

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    Just grab hold of the front wheel with your legs and waggle the handlebars from left to right whilst pulling up. That's how I always do it. Maybe its different with your bike but it doesn't look like it..

    Edit: They don't tend to just slide up, you usually have to waggle it about a bit.

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    Quote Originally Posted by XA04 View Post
    You should just need to use an alan key on the top part.. just loosen it then pull it up.
    No, that would work if davidstone28 had a threaded headset, but he has a threadless aheadset system. (As is almost universal on mountain bikes these days).

    Sheldon Brown's website is great for technical information, but he does cover a lot of old and obscure bicycle technology, without pointing out that it has not been used in 40 years. In the case of head sets, there two common systems (threaded and threadless) each in two common sizes. Threadless is almost universal on modern mountain bikes, and almost always in 1 1/8 inch size. (the other size is one inch).

    Anyway, with a threadless headset, you cannot simply undo something and slide the stem up. The stem is bolted to the stearer tube, with spacers either above or below. davidstone28 could move the stem down by putting one or more spacers above it, but he will not be able to get the stem any higher as that is the limit of the length of his stearer tube. The only way to get the handlebars higher would be to replace the stem with one that angles up.

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    Quite why you need the bars raising further than they are evades me for the moment.. BUT... the easiest way to do it is to get a stem that rises higher (or get a longer one) or bars with a higher rise than the standard ones. I've done the shorter stem, higher rise bars to raise them slightly and bring them closer to me (short arms). 24seven were doing a bar/stem combo that would probably suit, but I'm not sure if they're still offering it as a kit.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Quentos
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    Basically, I'm doing a fair bit of long distance at the moment, and want to try a more upright seating position.

    Evans do an adjustable stem:



    but it doesn't look as if it would raise the handlebars any higher than what I've got at the moment.

    Would this aheadstem raiser be a better option?



    http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/c...l.cfm?ID=12550

    or is a riserbar a better option:



    http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=13695

    There seems to be several ways to skin a cat.....not entirely sure of the pros and cons of each...
    Last edited by davidstone28; 01-01-2007 at 04:44 PM.

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    riserbars are pretty heavy, adjustable stems are weak. If youre doing long distance surely you want a more stretched out, (i.e. long and low) position, almost universally used by any racer. It is far more comfy. Put your seat up higher, takes some getting used to, but its a lot better in the long ru.

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    Hey,

    If you unbolt the stem, see how far the forks come up, if the forks steerer tube sits plum to the stem you cud put a few spacers in the stack to rise it up. Depends how much higher you need it.

    Ed
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    Quote Originally Posted by edavies87 View Post
    Hey,

    If you unbolt the stem, see how far the forks come up, if the forks steerer tube sits plum to the stem you cud put a few spacers in the stack to rise it up. Depends how much higher you need it.

    Ed
    Make sure youve still got plenty of tube to bolt the stem to though. Looking at that id bet its about as high as youll get it.

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