New Stem for the Long Haul Trucker

After last weekend’s 300K Brevet, I needed to address some fit issues. The main issue is getting the bars closer and possibly higher on the Long Haul Trucker. I considered getting new fork and starting over, but they are no longer available in Green. A cheaper alternative is to try a stem. So I picked up two different stems to try out. The stock stem is a 90mm with 17deg rise. So I found one stem that is 80mm with a 17deg rise, and a second stem that is 80mm with a variable rise.

I’ve never replaced a stem before so this was a little new to me. It wasn’t that difficult, but I did have to refer to my copy of Zinn and the Art of Road Maintenance. This is great book to have around if you don’t have one already.

Anyways, let’s see some pics. First up was to remove the bars.

Then the stem comes off.

Here’s the difference between the two stems. It isn’t much, but it makes a difference.

New stem installed. I wish it was silver, but I couldn’t find one close by. If this stem ends up being the right size, then I’ll order one from Velo Orange for the LHT and one for Casseroll.

It probably took longer to get the bars adjusted back to normal than it did to replace the stem. I’ll try it out on my commute this week, then if they still need to go higher, I’ll try out the variable rise stem. It was a pretty simple job to do. Performing jobs like this help to build your confidence for working on your bike.