Instructions for Raising the Handlebar Stem on a Bicycle

Bicycle stem height is an important setting on your bike. It can make the difference between a relaxed, comfortable posture, or painful cramped wrists, shoulders, arms and backs. Stem height also imparts riding styles. For speed, you want an aggressive, low stem height. For cruisers and touring, you need a higher stem height. Most modern bikes have stems that are easily adjusted in minutes, with only a single 5 mm hex wrench.

Things You'll Need

  • 5 mm hex wrench (Allen wrench)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Insert a 5 mm hex wrench into the vertical setscrew located on top of the bike's steering tube. To locate the setscrew, look straight down when you are sitting on the bike. It will be the only one facing straight up. Loosen and remove the setscrew as well as the small round plate the setscrew passes through.

    • 2

      Loosen the pinch bolts using a 5 mm hex wrench. The pinch bolts are two setscrews located at the base of the bike's stem; they are paired together horizontally. They tighten the bottom of the stem to the vertical part of the steering tube that sticks up through your bike's frame.

    • 3

      Slide two bushings up and off the top of the steering tube where the small plate came off. Hold them in your hand. With the other hand, pull straight up on the stem, lifting the stem and handlebars off of the steering tube. Hold them in your hand.

    • 4

      Place the two bushings that you have in your hand back on the steering tube. Place the stem back on the bike, on top of the bushings.

    • 5

      Place the round plate back on the top of the steering tube. Insert the vertical setscrew back through the plate. Align the handlebars left and right, and tighten the vertical setscrew securely.