# BMX bike - handlebars rotate forward



## Garasaki (Apr 7, 2010)

I feel like this is an incredibly n00b question but here I go:

I'm forever finding my BMX handlebars rotate forward on me. This problem spans across different bikes, all professionally built.

My current ride will rotate forward in different circumstances. Local skatepark has very rough transitions, and I've had them rotate on takeoff, landing, whatever.

I imagine body position on the bike has something to do with it. I'm 6'2" and I guess I tend to ride with a lot of weight on my hands. I've tightened by stem bolts as much as they can stand it.

Is there a trick to this? Are some bars and stems better than others at resisting the rotation?


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## jaykay (Jul 1, 2010)

What sort of stems are you using? How much do you weight?

I'm also 6' 2" and have never, ever had this issue. On my 20" I'm using an Odyssey Elementary. On my 24" I'm using something I can't quite remember at the minute, and on my 26" I'm using a twenty6 f 1.2.

Could just be down to the stem, have you tried different stems, or had a go on your friend's ride? Have you ensured the contact area is free of oil and grease? Is the stem the right size for your bars and clamping on correctly?


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

If it's a badly designed stem, it can allow slipping. Badly designed stems can also mash the handlebar tubing, ovalizing it, making it even more difficult to keep those bars in place even if you get a better stem. 

Quality stems and bars generally do not have the problem you're describing. Anything at empirebmx.com, danscomp.com, albes.com, etc. would qualify as "quality." 

It's better not to ride with a lot of weight on your hands. Most of your weight should be going through your feet.


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## cglasford (Sep 26, 2011)

Sometimes painted bars do this. You could strip the paint, don't sand, and tighten them to spec. But probably a bad stem as others have mentioned


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

+1 on it being the paint of your bars. Had this happen with a Thomson 6-bolt stem so wasn't the stem in my case. 

Strip down the paint, or take some sandpaper and use it as a shim- wrap it around the bars under the stem-that'll give it enough bite to stay.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

I respectfully disagree with the paint thing. Yes, sometimes that's a workaround fix . . . but the fact is there are tons of bars and stems that are painted that do not have this problem. It's a shape issue: Either the stem clamp area is not exactly round, the bars have already been slightly ovalized, or you're not tightening down each bolt equally and the clamping action is crooked.


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## cglasford (Sep 26, 2011)

cmc4130 said:


> I respectfully disagree with the paint thing. Yes, sometimes that's a workaround fix . . . but the fact is there are tons of bars and stems that are painted that do not have this problem. It's a shape issue: Either the stem clamp area is not exactly round, the bars have already been slightly ovalized, or you're not tightening down each bolt equally and the clamping action is crooked.


yeah i haven't had much of an issue with it recently either, most of my bars are painted. I'm also not riding bmx bikes that often. never had this issue with mtb bars. However back in the day it was pretty normal to have to strip the paint, at least that is what most of the people that I knew that raced in the 90s did, I would't recommend sanding because if you go too crazy you can take down some of the intended grooves.

Personally I would just get a new set of bars and a nice new stem... good luck!


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