8. Fit the handlebar and stem

Tightening the stem
The quill stem

Fit the handlebar and stem: You can opt for various combinations of stems and handlebars, depending on your preference and riding style. This can range from the standard quill stem and drop handlebars to threadless stem and sawn-off bull horn handlebars.

For our project, we will be using a classic single piece quill stem and riser handlebars. This provides a good trade-off between trend and comfort.

The procedure for fitting this is described below:

  1. Clean the stem thoroughly and apply ample grease to the bottom of the stem, the wedge, and the bolt which fastens the wedge to the bolt
  2. Loosen the wedge and insert the wedge and stem into the frame
    3. Handle bar grips from Scott USA - click to enlarge
    New grips
  3. Look for the minimum mark and ensure that the stem is inserted beyond this point
  4. Tighten the stem using the allen key. Do not overtighten as you will have to adjust the height and alignment later on
  5. Attach two brake levers to the handle bars. I will describe the cabling procedure in a few chapters
  6. Finally, don't forget the handle bar grips