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 a re 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 cran ks, but a steel bar/stem combo? Was is it just tradition? Conventional wisd om? Please discuss. Who made the first aluminum stems/bars? When did the switch begin? What are the pros/cons of each?
--Kirke Campbell
Houston, Tx