# 2011 Motobecane Grand Record - Problem



## jgrabowmst (Jun 22, 2011)

So I just got my new bike today, and I have it about 98% together, I just hit a pretty big problem, and I need some serious help with this.

The bike as a whole fits my perfectly. I bought the 54cm frame, bright yellow, looks great, I love it already.

Unfortunately, the last piece I got to when I was putting it together was the handlebar, simply because I needed the wheels on first so I could check my stand-over height.

It shipped straight from the factory, and came 90% complete, so right now, I'm in a bad spot. The stem is the wrong size, or the handlebar is the wrong one. Going by what I know, I have two options, and only the first one is a good option.

The current stem doesn't have much on it to determine what type it is, but it's a Skye Race Technology stem, the only other markings on it are a 5Nm on the fork end, which I'm guessing is referring to the amount of torque to tighten it on the bike. It also looks like it's a 30* set.

1) [easy way out] - The stem is the wrong size. It's 29mm on the fork, and it fits great, the bike shipped with the part installed on it, and looked good, but the handlebar is 30mm diameter, and does not fit in the 26mm area to bolt into place.

2) [the hard way out] - Unwrap the handlebar, take off the brake/shifters, and buy a smaller handlebar to fit, and re-wrap everything.

Stems are really expensive, and I will be calling the company that I bought the bike from, but it was factory direct, so I need to know what's going on, and what people think my options are.

I'd much rather find a way to get a new stem. The current one has never been used, the bike hasn't even seen any road time yet because of this, so I just need some help sorting out what to do.

I guess in reality, my question is, what stem should I be looking for, considering the sizes? I was trying to search google for it, and I couldn't find any info about a bike having the wrong stem, nor could I find a way to determine stem size to search for the proper one myself.

Right now I've got the bike at work (where it was shipped to) waiting for a way to figure this out, so any help would be greatly appreciated, I really really want to get this bike on the road.

Thanks a ton,
James


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

It appears they send the wrong stem..Handlebars are either 26.0 or 31.8 diameter

It sounds like they shipped a 31.8mm stem when they should of used a 26.0 stem.

If that is the case, you need a new stem...contact BD


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## jgrabowmst (Jun 22, 2011)

Thanks for those numbers, definitely a huge help, and clarifies the entire situation just like that.

I got in touch with the company and am waiting for a reply.

Besides getting that part swapped out, does anyone have any maintenance tips for while I've got the bike waiting to hit the road? Obviously it needs to be adjusted, and I have plenty of practice with doing that from my old bike, but in terms of chain/wheel problems, should I be looking for something special, is it good for a test ride out of the box, or do I need to change something first?

I will be taking it to the local shop for some fine tuning once I'm confident about my job.


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