Re: Giant Sedona LX handle bars
Dan
> I have a Giant Sedona LX, very comfortable bike EXCEPT that it's a wee bit
> too short for me.
>
> In consulting local gurus here there is some disagreement as to how far the
> handle bars can be raised?
>
> The stem to which the handle bars attach has two scored line marks showing
> with a height from the frame of 15/16 inch or 2.4 cm (hope i measured
> right, using a ruler)
>
> Anyone know the specs for this or how to determine how high to go.
> The handle bars have a metric allen nut in the center of the post. I am
> guessing this is the one you loosen to raise the bars? Anything else I need
> to do to make the stem easy to raise?
>
> Thanks for any help. Good group here.
(Disclaimer: I am not an expert.)
Loosen the allen bolt. If the head raises as you do so, you'll have to tap
it down with a hammer otr something to free the expander. Pull the handlebars
and stemm all the way out (if cables allow). Look for a lower marking on the
stem. You shouldn't ride the bike with that mark showing outside the steerer
tube.
You can get a different stem, or differnet handlebars, but if the bike is
really too small, will be much better off with a different bike that fits.
Dan O
(Another disclaimer: I'm still not an expert)
It occurs to me that if you have any doubt about this, you might want
to swing by a Local Bike Shop with the bike and have them show you
how.
Peter Howard
> I have a Giant Sedona LX, very comfortable bike EXCEPT that it's a
> wee bit too short for me.
>
> In consulting local gurus here there is some disagreement as to how
> far the handle bars can be raised?
>
> The stem to which the handle bars attach has two scored line marks
> showing with a height from the frame of 15/16 inch or 2.4 cm (hope i
> measured right, using a ruler)
>
> Anyone know the specs for this or how to determine how high to go.
> The handle bars have a metric allen nut in the center of the post. I
> am guessing this is the one you loosen to raise the bars? Anything
> else I need to do to make the stem easy to raise?
>
> Thanks for any help. Good group here.
Joeyboy, I think your Sedona LX (used to own one) will have a modern threadless
headset and steerer tube so the metric allen head in the middle of the post is
not used to raise/lower the bars.
Strart here at the immortal Sheldons tech information resource
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#headset
and scroll down to headset where you will find a very nice color illustration of
of older type threaded steerer and stem (left) and newer threadless steerer and
stem (right). The threadless steerer tube comes right up through your lower and
upper headset bearings and sticks out the top where your forward pointing stem
clamps onto it. The stem clamp has a couple of tubular spacers under it and the
metric allen head is used to preload the headset bearings before you tighten up
the clamp bolts on the stem.
Easy way to raise your bars is to use a Delta or Satori steerer tube riser.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=12812
It clamps onto the top of the steerer tube where your stem is now and has a
metric allen screw inside which performs the bearing preload function. You may
or may not need more or fewer spacers under the riser. Fortunately, your local
bike shop will most lilkely stock spacers anywhere from 1mm to 20 mm thick.
Then the stem clamps onto the straight 1 1/8" portion of the riser anything up
to 3 inches higher.
Some find risers unaesthetic and you would not be advised to do any gnarly
downhill work with a stem riser but they are perfectly secure for just riding
around. From memory, the Delta riser swallows up 40mm of steerer tube so you
will likely need a lesser amount of spacer height under it.
Don't be afraid to take the existing setup apart to see how it works. Have the
front wheel on the ground lest your fork drop out under gravity when you take
off the metric allen head, the top cap and the stem.
Also try www.parktool.com (down at the moment for me) and look around under
repair help for discussion of threaded and threadless steerer tube systems.
PH
SMS
> I have a Giant Sedona LX, very comfortable bike EXCEPT that it's a wee bit
> too short for me.
>
> In consulting local gurus here there is some disagreement as to how far the
> handle bars can be raised?
>
> The stem to which the handle bars attach has two scored line marks showing
> with a height from the frame of 15/16 inch or 2.4 cm (hope i measured
> right, using a ruler)
>
> Anyone know the specs for this or how to determine how high to go.
> The handle bars have a metric allen nut in the center of the post. I am
> guessing this is the one you loosen to raise the bars? Anything else I need
> to do to make the stem easy to raise?
>
> Thanks for any help. Good group here.
See <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html>.
It depends what type of headset your Sedona LX has.
Does the stem look like the one on this Sedona LX (threaded/quill)
<http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/sedona.lx/4878/39042/>?
or like the one on this Sedona LX (threadless):
<http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/lifestyle/750/22388/>?
For threaded/quill stems usually there will be something like "MAX"
engraved on the stem so you don't pull it out too far. If "MAX" is still
too short then you can either get a new longer stem, i.e.
<http://www.meijer.com/s/promax-black-adjustable-bike-stem-85-180mm/_/R-125803>
or use an extender <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/stems/index.html>
scroll down to stem raisers>. You need to buy the right size.
For threadless headsets you're probably going to have to buy some sort
of an extender as they are not very adjustable, it depends if the
manufacturer left the fork long enough to raise the bars, and usually
they don't. See
<http://www.meijer.com/s/satori-handle-bike-stem-easy-up/_/R-125809> for
one adjustable extender. Or you can buy something like
<http://www.meijer.com/s/zoom-bike-stem-ahead-adapter-for-ahead-bike-stem/_/R-125807>.
We miss you Sheldon!
Peter Cole
I wouldn't be worried about "gnarly". The major complication that may
arise is lengthening all the cables.
Peter Cole
> I have a Giant Sedona LX, very comfortable bike EXCEPT that it's a wee bit
> too short for me.
>
> In consulting local gurus here there is some disagreement as to how far the
> handle bars can be raised?
>
> The stem to which the handle bars attach has two scored line marks showing
> with a height from the frame of 15/16 inch or 2.4 cm (hope i measured
> right, using a ruler)
>
> Anyone know the specs for this or how to determine how high to go.
> The handle bars have a metric allen nut in the center of the post. I am
> guessing this is the one you loosen to raise the bars? Anything else I need
> to do to make the stem easy to raise?
>
> Thanks for any help. Good group here.
It's probably a "threadless" stem. The "scored line marks" are probably
actually spacers. As has been suggested, look for a description of
threadless stems & adjustment to see if it matches what you've got.
You can use a "stem riser" adapter as has been mentioned, or a new stem
that has more "rise", or even new handlebars with some rise built in.
Most threadless stems are not adjustable, to raise the bars requires new
components.
SMS
Most of the Sedona LX models used a threaded headset, so I would not be
too certain that it's threadless. It's a "comfort" bike and AFAIK they
used an adjustable angle threaded stem.