[CR]re: AVA death stems

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:15:25 -0500 (EST)
From: <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]re: AVA death stems

Dale wrote:

do they fail? Anyone? Anyone? Ferris? Ferris Bueller?

Dale Brown Greensboro, NC USA

*****

An AVA stoker stem came on our Pogliaghi tandem. It has a long crack where the extension meets the bar-clamp area, a direct result of making the extension hollow: there's not enough material in way of the stressed area, and so, over time, there's a crack. The exact same thing would occur in the single-bike road stem, given enough stress, I'm sure.

I have no idea if it would fail outright. It was probably ridden hard, in just that condition, for many years.

That said, I did remove it after a few rides. Better safe than sorry.

Does anyone know, offhand, if Cinelli made stoker stems 35-40 years ago? Be nice to get one for the Pogi, if such even exists.

Charles Andrews
SoCal