I’ve just fitted a new stem and before I tightened it up, I set it at 90 degrees to the front wheel for storage purposes. I can’t believe how much space this saves when leaning it against the wall in the conservatory.

Anyone ever heard of a QR stem that would allow me to do this after every ride?

It seems like a great idea fraught with plenty of danger if it came loose when riding!

Are there any alternatives e.g. taking off the front wheel and turning the bars 90 degrees for storage – are there any stands that would hold a bike like this?

I’ve seen them on folding bikes. I guess the risk of crashing to too high for most manufacturers. I’m pretty sure the EU regs changed so you need two bolts now so you’d need two QR levers, which seems pretty clunky. I just take the front wheel out.

I have a pogo stick with a twin QR on it, one lever that pulls two bolts. Maybe something like that. May need a more robust arrangement than the SFN and topcap as repeated twisting may cause it to loosen.

There was a single speed concept bike at the London bike show 2009 or 10 that had a chain protector that turned into a lock and a stem with a button on top that you could depress and turn the bars through 90 degrees to park it in your hallway. No idea if either item went into production though

There’s a device called a Speedlifter that lets you quickly rotate 90 degrees for storage – I’m importing a few at the moment for some people. Really handy for storing bikes in corridors etc.

I’ve fitted a 28.6mm seat post clamp (with the lip filed off) in place of one of the stem spacers on a couple of bikes. That allows me to loosen and turn the stem without losing the headset bearing adjustment. Still too much of a faff for short term storage, but it’s handy if/when I’m trying to fit lots of bikes on the roof of the car…

I pondered getting one of the devices Ben mentions (or more likely a forerunner) a few years ago when I had the bike in the front room of a terrace house. In the end, I decided taking the front wheel out was cheaper… 🙂

I just take the front wheel out, much less faff than undoing & then straightening bars…which would drive my OCD crazy

You want an NVO stem – Dahon used to fit them to new bikes but they have a different solution now I think.

Only problem is that I think they start at 90cm.

I have a 110cm version of the one above and it is a very nicely made piece of kit and not very heavy. I haven’t ever used it as I changed folding bikes from my older Dahon just after I bought it 🙁

There is a tube that goes over your stem, which you can leave as long if you want so you can adjust the stem height to varied positions, and without the need for spacers.

The tube has a ridge at the front which the stem fits in to so it always aligned when you put it on / adjust it.

the stem cap, which sits on top of the tube, is flush with the tube so you can just loosen the one bolt and slip the stem straight off the top for storage purposes.

They provide a shim so you can accommodate 31.8 and 25.4 bars.

http://www.nvocomponents.com/?page_id=24

http://www.nvocomponents.com/?product=f2-black-with-silver-front-cap

http://www.nvocomponents.com/?post_type=product

I think Dahon use something more like this now – but this would look funny on your mtb :

Before I got the NVO I tried to hack something together with one of these and a dremel, but it wasn’t great :

These guys sell the NVO in the UK – 105cm going cheap it seems…

http://www.schmooscycles.org.uk/nvo-stem-2884-p.asp

and these guys looked like they sell/sold them as well :

http://www.getmefixed.co.uk/

Jamis bike apparently use NVO stems and Evans stock Jamis, so maybe you can get one as a spare through them ?

http://road.cc/content/review/56869-jamis-quest

A quill stem would help a lot.

The nice thing about the Speedlifter is that it indexes so locks at zero and 90 degrees – no messing about getting the bars straight again. And it’s tool-less to raise or rotate.

Speed lifter sounds a great idea. I’d definitely buy one for the commuter. I turn my bars for the extra storage space, it’s only 3 bolts so not a big deal but it is a bit of a faff

Theres the locking headset spacer solution cheap but I’m sure you can see the drawbacks http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/problem-solvers-locking-headset-spacer-for-1-1-8-inch-black-prod18246/

Also nlock.

At least the nvo looks like a normal stem system…