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Is it possible to set the stem / steerer higher in Cannondale R300? It feels like I need higher stack and I wouldn't like to tilt the drop bars from their current position.

Bonus question: are stem and steerer one single part here?

Cannondale R300 steerer

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2 Answers 2

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This is a traditional quill stem, meaning it's shaped like a "7", with the vertical part fixed inside the steerer tube by a wedge bolt.

There should be an allen bolt at the top--it looks like it might be covered by a rubber plug here. Loosen that and give it a light tap with a mallet to dislodge the wedge. You should then be able to raise the stem. If you can't raise it as high as you want, you could replace it with a new stem that's taller.

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    While you raise the stem look for the mark that says minimum insertion. Raise the stem no higher than that mark.
    – mikes
    Commented Jun 20, 2020 at 23:34
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    Don't be surprised if the quill stem's lower wedge inside the steerer tube has corroded and takes more than just a "light tap" to dislodge.
    – Armand
    Commented Jun 21, 2020 at 3:55
  • While you are at it it’s probably a good idea to take out the whole stem, look for corrosion damage, note the minimum insertion mark, grease the wedge and bolt and re-insert it.
    – Michael
    Commented Jun 21, 2020 at 10:59
  • Loosen the bolt until it spins freely (and no more) then tap it down as gently as required.
    – Lamar Latrell
    Commented Jun 21, 2020 at 19:18
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Bonus answer: yes a quill stem does the same job as the stem, and the top-part of the steerer.

The lower part of the steerer tube is the top of the fork as per a threadless setup, but a threadded fork normally is only long enough to get out the top of the headset.

It is possible to get threadded to threadless adapters, and then fit a threadless stem. This allows longer or angled stems to be used, but may be heavier/uglier.

enter image description here

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    In the above nice picture, you can see the wedge on the right, by tightening the screw on the top of the stem (on the left), the wedge slides along the diagonal surface and it connect firmly the top stem to the fork, inside the frame. The wedge may corrode and bond tightly with the fork, then you need gentle, possibly up to not anymore so gentle tapping with a mallet to set it free, as mentioned in the other answer.
    – EarlGrey
    Commented Jun 21, 2020 at 9:19

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