Both of my stems are headclip types, and in each case, I tried headclip ste ms made by the relevant builder - Holdsworth and R O Harrison respectively. In the case of the Holdsworth, thestem is actually of the same (early) lu g pattern as the frame. Maybe the headclips compress the steerer tubes ove r time?
Both steerer tubes are for 1" headclips.
As a last resort on the Harrison, I'm going to try a Titan stem, with the p re-war version of the Kint/Maes, etc., bars, same pattern as post war, but marked "Tour de France" and "S Maes". This bar/stem combination was availa ble over here from Tabucchi, who listed them in the 1938 and 1939 catalogue s.
Time to take up another hobby - knitting, perhaps?
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
> From: sbirmingham@mindspring.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: RE: [CR] Shrinking steerer tubes
> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:36:30 -0400
>
> Interesting, I just checked my bike from the 30's (maybe older) And it al
so
> takes a 22.0 stem.
> I believe it was originally headclip type, changed to a "regular" headset
>
> Reaming may be fine for one that has a 1 inch steerer, but mine is 15/16
or
> BSA thread. It's quite thin enough without
> reaming more out of the inside, so it may be worth checking yours to see
if
> it's inch or 15/16
> A French stem, or maybe a stem intended for a headclip type headset would
be
> my first choice, as I hate modifying frames
> unless they're just common modern stuff... and even then.
>
> Steve Birmingham
> Lowell, Massachusetts
> United States of America
> (And a slow typist who kinda whishes he lived somewhere like Agana , Guam
)
>
>
>
> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:28:22 -0700 (PDT)
> From: dean 53x13 <dpcowboy54@yahoo.com>
> To: gpvb1@comcast.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Shrinking steerer tubes
> Message-ID: <794924.6566.qm@web56001.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
> In-Reply-To:
> <031920081413.29038.47E11F97000E12810000716E2216548686CE0D909F09@comcast.
net
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
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> Precedence: list
> Message: 14
>
> Reaming the steerer should be no problem...you are really not taking out
> very much material...do it properly, with appropriate tools.
>
> gpvb1@comcast.net wrote: Yes - I have the same issue with my 1937 Wastyn
> six-day racer.
>
> I purchased a nice old Schwinn Paramount stem and bar for it, only to
> discover that it will only insert a couple inches. I asked around, and wa
s
> told that 22.0 mm steerers were often used 'back then.'
>
> Does anyone know the 'real truth?'
>
> Should I (we, both of us) carefully ream the steerer? I'm not in a hurry
to
> do that.....
>
> Greg Parker
> Ann Arbor, Michigan
>
> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:19:18 +0000
> From: Neil Foddering
> To:
> Subject: [CR] Shrinking steerer tubes
>
> I'm rebuilding my beautiful 1939 R O Harrison with Osgear ends at the
> moment. It has been re-enamelled in what the enameller calls eau-de-nil
> -it's a pale pastel green - with cream seat tube panel, and I'm very plea
sed
> with the colour scheme. However, the bike and I are not speaking to each
> other at the moment. I worked on it the day before yesterday, and
> thought I'd fit an R O Harrison chrome stem I'd bought separately. Wrong
!
> The stem is simply too large in diameter for the steerer tube. A search
> through my
> period stems revealed that all my other handlebar stems wouldn't fit,
> except for a new old stock 1930's Reynolds twin bolt. It went in for a
> few inches, then stopped. Stupidly, I thought a couple of taps with a
> light mallet would encourage it, and it's now jammed, without having
> gone much deeper. I wasn't been able to get to grips with it yesterday
> (58th birthday, so otherwise engaged) and I'm dreading finding out that
> it's well and truly stuck.
>
> Oddly, I've had the same problem with my 1946 Holdsworth, in that case
> an A&P steel stem, which Hilary had to get a friend of his to remove for
me.
>
> I've since bought the correct steel Holdsworth stem, with matching lug
> pattern,
> at great expense, and THAT won't go in the Holdsworth's steerer tube eith
er.
>
> What's going on? I'd assumed that the internal steerer diameters would b
e
> standard.
> Hilary suggested that I use a French diameter stem, or track down someone
> with a suitable expanding reamer, and have the steerer on each bike
> opened out. I hate old bikes.
>
> Has anyone else experienced this problem? In each case, the steerer is i
nt
> ended for a head clip type headset.
>
> Neil Foddering
> Weymouth, Dorset, England