Monday, February 14, 2011

Grease Your Stems!

Word to the wise for everyone out there using traditional quill stems on their Campy-equipped bikes: Take them out and grease them regularly! Update 2-15-11: See the Comments--turns out that anti-sieze is better than grease for both stems and seatposts. You can find anti-sieze at most hardware and auto parts stores.

Yours truly was packing up the Campy Only Rivendell last night and ran into a roadblock in the form of a stem that wouldn't come out. I could budge it, but it would not come out of the steerer.

Long story short ... it took the great guys at Velo City bike shop in Winters, CA, more than an hour of soaking and tugging, but they got it out. Whew! Now I can continue packing and getting ready for the Camino Real Double Century in Southern California. Photo below, James of Velo City with the newly freed stem. Note the rust that showed up in a just a few months of riding.

James and the Recalcitrant Stem

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2 comments:

  1. fasteddyFebruary 15, 2011 at 6:07 AM

    Better yet, use an anti-sieze compound. It lasts forever (OK at least 10 years). A little pricier than grease, but a can will last you a decade. Cycling applications can use the standard version. Bostic is a leading brand.

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  2. CampyOnlyGuyFebruary 15, 2011 at 7:07 AM

    James recommended the same thing, so that's what I'll be doing when i reassemble it. Ditto for the seatpost.

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