Today I added a long page about making a Li-ion battery pack for bicycle lights.
See it here
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
My Stem Measuring Jig
I have quite a few bicycles for various purposes. Some were built up on new frames, others were resurrected from sad garbage tip relics which had frames attractive to me for one reason or another. All required me to choose a stem that would suit my preferred riding position. This usually means getting the handlebar a little higher and a little closer and maybe choosing a handlebar with a bit of rise built into it.
I have a collection of stems I can try of various lengths and angles. Some are even adjustable, and though they are unattractive mechanical monstrosities they can be useful for settling on a reach and an angle of rise which can possibly be duplicated in a new fixed stem.
The problem is finding a stem in my junk box which might suit me and the frame. Just holding one up and eyeballing it beside an already fitted stem can be very misleading.
Finally I got around to making something I've been meaning to make for a long time. A measuring appliance I could use to catalogue every stem I have by reach and rise.
Here it is. A base and a backboard made from two pieces of wood glued together. A short piece of scrap 28.6mm steerer tube accurately glued vertically into the base. A piece of inch diameter steel with a pointer for fitting into the handlebar clamp. If steel is unavailable, a piece of broomstick the right diameter would do just as well. And finally, a piece of graph paper glued to the backboard and hand lettered. It has 1mm squares with 1cm squares in bold and it was printed out from a "print your own graph paper" website. I used glossy photo paper just to make it look pretty and easy to glue.
Measuring quite an extreme riser stem. I read the rise and the reach from where the pointer lands on the calibrated graph paper and add it to the shop notebook with a description of the stem.
I can remove and measure the stem that comes with any bike and look at the book to see what alternatives I have on hand.
Is this overkill? Not for me when it took less than an hour to make altogether.
Is it useful? Yes. No more guessing.
Will you like the look of my bike with a riser stem and funny handlebar? Maybe not, but you don't have to ride it.
I have a collection of stems I can try of various lengths and angles. Some are even adjustable, and though they are unattractive mechanical monstrosities they can be useful for settling on a reach and an angle of rise which can possibly be duplicated in a new fixed stem.
 |
| Box of assorted stems |
The problem is finding a stem in my junk box which might suit me and the frame. Just holding one up and eyeballing it beside an already fitted stem can be very misleading.
Finally I got around to making something I've been meaning to make for a long time. A measuring appliance I could use to catalogue every stem I have by reach and rise.
 |
| Base, backboard, steerer tube (left), pointer (right) |
Here it is. A base and a backboard made from two pieces of wood glued together. A short piece of scrap 28.6mm steerer tube accurately glued vertically into the base. A piece of inch diameter steel with a pointer for fitting into the handlebar clamp. If steel is unavailable, a piece of broomstick the right diameter would do just as well. And finally, a piece of graph paper glued to the backboard and hand lettered. It has 1mm squares with 1cm squares in bold and it was printed out from a "print your own graph paper" website. I used glossy photo paper just to make it look pretty and easy to glue.
 |
| Measuring a stem |
I can remove and measure the stem that comes with any bike and look at the book to see what alternatives I have on hand.
Is this overkill? Not for me when it took less than an hour to make altogether.
Is it useful? Yes. No more guessing.
Will you like the look of my bike with a riser stem and funny handlebar? Maybe not, but you don't have to ride it.
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