Sunlite Steel Touring Stem, for 1", 22.2mm quill Review

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(More customer reviews)So here is the thing... it's a ten dollar stem. In that context it gets four stars for existing and matching its description. It is not light; it is not smooth; it sort of looks like it was welded by lemurs wearing mittens. The weld joining the stem to the quill on mine looks like it had some bubbles in it, but, and I'm no welder, it seems to have its structural integrity intact. Having said all that, it is a long stem. It's a problem solver. Get it to put on cheap bikes that currently make the rider hunch over. I put it on my wife's inexpensive cruiser and she loves the improved fit. I suppose one important suggestion would be to not use this stem for *rough* off-road use; I don't think it's intended for that.
The quill (the part that goes down into your bike's head-tube) has a diameter of 22.2mm (7/8"). Sometimes this will be referred to as a 1" stem, which is confusing, but that refers to the outside diameter of the steerer, which is the top part of the fork that goes inside the head-tube (you can't see it on an assembled bike). The stem's quill needs to match the inside diameter of the steerer, hence a stem designated as 'a 1" stem' has a diameter of 7/8". To make matters more confusing, the other common size of stem has a diameter of 25.4mm, which *is* one inch, but is often designated as 'a 1 1/8" stem,' again referring to the outside diameter of the steerer.
The clamp on this stem (the part that goes around your handlebar) has an inside diameter of 25.4mm, or one inch. This seems to be a common size for mountain bikes, cruisers, comfort bikes and the like. Most drop bars, common on road bikes, are 26mm in diameter and will obviously not fit in a 25.4mm clamp. I did not have any trouble with the clamp fitting a 25.4mm bar. If you find yourself having to over tighten a bar clamp, it's probably a good idea to get a shim.
Giving credit where due, most of this I've learned from Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary (easy to find with a search engine) combined with observation and trial and error.
On an assembled bike it's probably easier to measure the circumference of your existing stem and handlebar and then convert to diameter. This is probably off by a hair, but it worked for me.

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