At 12:39 PM -0800 11/5/08, Kirke Campbell wrote:
>All this talk of steel cottered v. aluminum cotterless cranks made me start
> pondering stems and handlebars.
>I
>think, based on catalogues I have seen, that Cinelli was making steel
>bars and stems up until the late 1970s. I know now that these steel
>stems are highly sought after, but how common was it to use a steel
>stem after the arrival of aluminum versions? Why equip a bike with
>aluminum rims and cranks, but a steel bar/stem combo? Was is it just
>tradition? Conventional wisdom?
>Please discuss. Who made the first aluminum stems/bars? When did the switch
> begin? What are the pros/cons of each?
I have no idea who made the first aluminum handlebars. In France in the 1930s, aluminum handlebars started to become popular. AVA, then part of Mavic, made some aluminum stems and handlebars that were highly regarded. (Note that later, the AVA name was sold and a different company made cheaper AVA stems that may have a reputation for failure. The pre-war and 1950s AVA is not related to the 1970s AVA.)
Some racing bikes were equipped with aluminum stem and bar in the late 1930s - see this Oscar Egg from our new book "The Competition Bicycle"
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/
On the other hand, you still find steel stems and handlebars on professional bikes through the 1950s. In fact, our book shows a beautiful, all-original 1950s Bianco with aluminum cranks, but steel bars, stem and seatpost.
I don't know why there was a long-time reluctance among racers to
adopt aluminum bars. French cyclotourists did not share those
concerns, whatever they were. Even before World War II, most high-end
constructeur machines used aluminum bars. The exception were custom
steel stems made by Singer, Routens and a few others. But those were
superlight anyhow, no comparison to the stems of the racers. (The
Singer et al. stems also were quite flexible. Nice for a long ride on
rough roads, but in a track sprint, you'd pick a different stem!)
>Also, does anyone know anything about Ambrosio bars/stems. I know they made
> top of the line rims back in the day, but how were there other components?
I believe that Ambrosio stems and bars were quality products. The company changed their name to (or was bought by) TTT. Some parts, like the adjustable stem, can be found both with the Ambrosio and the TTT brand. See this Olmo
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/
Jan Heine
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