I have a Cinelli VIP bar-stem with a 1-R stem that I used for about 20 years
until the bar started to move a few degrees. Tightening the bolt did not help-
I went through about three of these expensive bolts. Finally, I was told that
while this stem is cosmetically pretty, it is a poor engineering design- the
handlebar gets a little squished out of round eventually, so it will always be
loose.
The handlebar is a 66-42, OS crest logo- almost impossible to find, and I'd
like to rescue it, hoping to use it with a 1-A stem.Undoing the bolt completely
barely allows the handlebar to move.
Do I go to a machine shop and ask them to cut a wedge in the front of the
stem, or is there too much of a risk of ruining the handlebar?
Will heating the stem with a torch help?
Anybody been through this before?
Thanks,
Josh Berger
Bronx, NY