I’m trying different stem heights to see if other positions are more comfortable. However, when I raise the stem and try to tighten the bolt, it just returns back to the default lowest position.
I’m pretty sure this is a quill stem, but is there maybe something off with the measurements that would make it not adjustable?
Also I wanted to say that the stem is not seized/stuck. I’m able to pull it up.
by Nightwing42540
3 Comments
I’ve seen a quill lock wedge that got too loose, turned and tightened cockeyed. Then it was hanging up on itself instead of acting as an expansion wedge.
There are different sizes, of course.
Lovely Rivendell! Yep that’s a quill stem, it should have a large range of vertical adjustment. When you tighten the bolt, does it feel like it tightens properly (it should take a fair bit of torque)? Sometimes if you loosen it too far the quill wedge falls off, and you have to pull the stem out and fish the wedge out of the steerer tube. Even if that’s not the problem, lifting the stem out will allow you to inspect the wedge mechanism to see is anything is damaged or stuck which might prevent it from working.
When you loosen the bolt and the head raises up, do you whack the top of it to unstick the wedge? What it sounds like you’re doing is loosening the bolt, so it raises up, then pulling up the stem, then tightening the bolt again, and it’s just drawing back down into the wedge which is still at a lower position.