How to remove keyed steering tube sleeves?

[brad]

Replacing the too low handlebars and non-adjustable stem on my new bike, which unfortunately for me, has a keyed steering tube and stem.

Anyone have any ideas on how to remove the sleeve over the steering tube without damaging the steerer?

Bike is a 2010 Novara Safari, replacing the keyed stem with a threadless riser and adjustable stem.

[JimF]

Brad:
Have you written the manufacturer about a possible method? Sorry I can't help with advice.

[DaveB]

I don't know what you mean by a "keyed steering tube".  Based on the photo and description on the REI web site, the Safari appears to have a very conventional threadless steerer/headset/stem arrangement. 

Remove the top cap bolt and cap, loosen the stem clamp bolt and the stem and bars should slide off as a unit.  The "sleeve" over the steerer tube is just a spacer.  With the bars and stem off, the spacer will slide off by hand.

[whittierider]

REI's website says it has a "Ritchey Scuzzy Logic V2" headset.  The closest I can find to that on Ritchey's website (the Scuzzy Logic Pro) is just a standard threadless headset.  Park Tool has a lot of good info on how to service all the parts of the bike, including also the threaded headsets.  Threaded steering tubes have a key on the threading to keep a ring in place to help keep the top cup from rotating while you tighten the nut above it.

[brad]

Dave, Whittierider,

The the bike doesn't have a normal threadless steering tube it has a keyed sleeve over the steering tube. It is an NVO parts component (REI house brand perhaps) http://www.nvocomponents.com/technical.htm. If it was a normal head.

I know the sleeve should slide off by hand but I am having a hell of a time making it happen.

Brad

[whittierider]

That's a good description.  I wonder if one of those gizmos to pull the cable clamps off of car battery terminals would work.