TTT Stem Questions

On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:12:02 GMT, Bob wrote:

OK... I'm still stuck in vintage gear, I need some info on this
"newer" TTT Stem:

What are the funky grooves in the clamp area seen he
http://users.rcn.com/uctraing/100_1362.JPG

What is this little screw hole for, seen he
http://users.rcn.com/uctraing/100_1364.JPG

Okay, I have no clue whatsoever about this stem, but if I were
brainstorming about what this looked like, I'd say: the clamp appears to
be single bolt, and cut across the face. Removing the bolt will let all of
the bottom part of the clamp drop, yes/no? Compared to a standard stem of
that shape, there's a cut across the front, and those machined bits next
to it, and a threaded hole there. I think there might have been an insert
that fitted in those grooves, and that would complete the clamp. And I
think the threaded hole would have been used for a small bolt to hold the
insert in. Whether factory or not, it looks like a standard stem that is
modified to have the bars removed without doing the whole dance with the
bar tape and the cables and the levers.

Possibly custom modded for a traveling bike intended to fold up small into
a suitcase? Possibly factory modded for same?


Jasper

"Jasper Janssen" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:12:02 GMT, Bob wrote:

OK... I'm still stuck in vintage gear, I need some info on this
"newer" TTT Stem:

What are the funky grooves in the clamp area seen he
http://users.rcn.com/uctraing/100_1362.JPG

What is this little screw hole for, seen he
http://users.rcn.com/uctraing/100_1364.JPG

Okay, I have no clue whatsoever about this stem, but if I were
brainstorming about what this looked like, I'd say: the clamp appears to
be single bolt, and cut across the face. Removing the bolt will let all of
the bottom part of the clamp drop, yes/no? Compared to a standard stem of
that shape, there's a cut across the front, and those machined bits next
to it, and a threaded hole there. I think there might have been an insert
that fitted in those grooves, and that would complete the clamp. And I
think the threaded hole would have been used for a small bolt to hold the
insert in. Whether factory or not, it looks like a standard stem that is
modified to have the bars removed without doing the whole dance with the
bar tape and the cables and the levers.

Possibly custom modded for a traveling bike intended to fold up small into
a suitcase? Possibly factory modded for same?


Jasper

The small hole is to hold the TTT logo tag that was on the early stems.
Later they went with a rub-off type lettering as in my stem, I guess to save
on cost.
-tom

On Sat, 03 Sep 2005 20:53:24 GMT, Bob wrote:
On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 20:40:09 GMT, Jasper Janssen
wrote:

it looks like a standard stem that is
modified to have the bars removed without doing the whole dance with the
bar tape and the cables and the levers.

Possibly custom modded for a traveling bike intended to fold up small into
a suitcase? Possibly factory modded for same?

Thanks Jasper... that is an interesting point Whether or not it was a
folding bike, I don;t know - but this design does let you change the
stem without re-doing the tape and removing a brake lever.

I'd expect that it might not be safe without the seemingly necessary
insert, by the way, that would hold the face bits together when the bolt
clamps the whole thing over a pipe. Otherwise you're putting bending
forces into that single bolt with every bit of weight applied to the bars,
and that can't be good. It might not clamp well enough to keep the bars
from rotating either. But I don't think it needs to be terribly precisely
fitting on either side, so you should be able to fabricate a new one from
alu stock with some patience, a dremel, and some sandpaper.


Jasper