Royce Union Bicycles, manufactured in Japan, first appeared in the United States in the early 1970s. Known for their high-end well-crafted bicycles, the Huffy Corporation purchased the Royce Union Company in 1997 after selling their baby products company. Similar to other bicycles, the handlebar height is adjustable. The major difference with Royce Union bikes is that earlier models used a threadless stem, but later models employ a threaded stem. It is important to identify this before adjusting the handlebars. Threaded stems screw into the steering column and threadless stems clamp the steering column.
Threadless Handlebar Stem
Step 1
Locate the two bolts holding the clamp onto the stem and steering column. Use the 3 mm Allen wrench to loosen the bolts by turning them counterclockwise. You do not have to remove the bolts completely; just loosen them.
Step 2
Locate the compression bolt on the top of the stem and use the 5 mm Allen wrench to loosen the bolt by turning it counterclockwise.
Step 3
Remove the bolt along with the top cap and set it aside in a safe place.
Step 4
Lift the stem and handlebar assembly from the steering column.
Step 5
Grab the headset spacer and place it onto the steering column. Headset spacers come in different widths, which makes it easy to get the proper height that you need.
Step 6
Insert the stem back into the steering column. Make sure that the top of the stem clears the column by about 1/8 inch, according to Park Tool. A gap larger than this will require a narrower headset spacer.
Step 7
Align the front wheel with the stem and handlebars. Place the top cap on the top of the stem and hand tighten the compression bolt. Use the 5 mm Allen wrench to tighten the bolt.
Step 8
Use the 3 mm Allen wrench to tighten the bolts on the clamp by turning them clockwise.
Threaded Handlebar Stem
Step 1
Locate the expander bolt at the top of the stem. The bolt will require the 5 mm Allen wrench to adjust it.
Step 2
Use the 5 mm wrench to turn the expander bolt counterclockwise two turns. This will loosen the bolt enough so that you can adjust the handlebars.
Step 3
Raise the handlebars to the desired height. It is important to make sure that at least 2 inches of the stem remain in the steering column to maintain stability.
Step 4
Look at the front wheel and align it with the handle bars by turning the stem either left or right to ensure proper alignment. Make sure the alignment is perfect before you tighten the expander bolt.
Step 5
Turn the bolt on the top of the stem clockwise with the 5 mm Allen wrench. It should be just hand tight; you do not want to overtighten the bolt and make it impossible to adjust the handlebars in the future.
Things You'll Need
- 5 mm Allen wrench
- 3 mm Allen wrench (as needed)
- Headset spacer (as needed)
Member Comments