Stem Length
- Thread starter canadmos
- Start date
Okay so after ripping through this thread you guys got me having doubts on my shorty stem. I am 5'10 with a big wingspan on a Large sb130- long bike. I am running a 35mm stem on there to help keep everything nice and tight and have loved it except for a few things. What negative affects will I be experiencing from the short stem vs going to a 45mm+? Before i list out what I've experienced I want to hear it from other folks first. Current offset on the fork is 44mm
With a 35mm stem you're going to have to intentionally weight the front more in turns. And risk the rear not having enough weight. Seated riding will feel twitchy.
I can't even begin to imagine how flexy that is.
35: more stable in straights as speed, more body english needed to turn
45/50: more nimbly/bimbly, more "playful" feeling.
The rear half is somewhat agreeable except cranks and pedalsso if your doctahawk reach is a tad too long, just add spacers, right?
The front needs decapitation....
I found the opposite with longer stems. went from 40 to 45 to 50 - Each time the steering felt less twitchy when bombing straight down chutes and with the longer stem I found it easier to stop the front wheel tucking, like if I was cornering hard right I felt the bar was heavier and less willing to turn. On the shorter stem steering felt a bit lighter and less gradual, on the same hard right i felt i had to think more about counter steering.
man this shits hard to explain. Crazy how much such a small difference makes, getting moar stems to mess around with is a good idea, and if direct mounts a good few make ones that do 40/45 or 45/50.
The wobbly feeling from overly short stems is partially because you lose leverage over the steerer tube when the front of your wheel hits shit. Think about offest as giving rocks more leverage over your steerer tube.
This thread is fucking amazing. Switched from a 35mm to a 50mm just to see what's up. It was a life changing experience. By that I mean: there's just no fucking way someone not named Greg Minnaar can tell a meaningful difference...theres just not, no matter what they claim.
I chalk it up to me not having much sensitivity to things like offset and laughably small differences in stack height, and I'm grateful to the FSM for that being the case.
Carry on.
I chalk it up to me not having much sensitivity to things like offset and laughably small differences in stack height, and I'm grateful to the FSM for that being the case.
Carry on.
That's okay. We've gotten used to living in a country that can't tell the difference between their rights to get their hair did, and their neighbors' right to not die.
Might as well turn your stem around completely 180 degrees. It's probably 'stable' and you probably won't be able to tell much difference.
I mean I can't tell the difference between the following two jpegs so it must be bullshit
Thankfully noAnybody remember this dumb bullshit?
Proto DM Stem from Cero Design - Pinkbike
Cesar Rojo is the engineer and WC DH racer at Mondraker that helped bring us the Summum, now he's working on a new direct mount stem. Check it out! *Video added!*www.pinkbike.com
Mondraker Introduces Forward Geometry: Are You Ready for a 10 mm Stem?
Technology and fashion in the bike industry cycle nearly as quickly as moore’s law. Ten years ago, 70mm stems where commonplace on trail bikes, 680mm bars were considered wide, and 29″ wheels belonged on road bikes. Now, Mondraker is attempting to pioneer a new trend, with the shortest AM stem...bikerumor.com
There's a reason no one does this.
And it has nothing to do with 'reach'. Stem length is a handling component, not a fitting component. When people don't understand this, they do dumb shit like lengthening a top tube but thinking there's some single reach measurement that has to be maintained with the stem. Yeah how'd that work out. It's funny to look back and now everyone (hopefully) realizes that you can ride a longer bike with the same sized stem you had on the shorter one just fine.
You say that like you don't think you can git yo hair did at the Peaceful Sleep Funeral Home. 2 birds stoned as they say in Sunny Vale, Canadia.That's okay. We've gotten used to living in a country that can't tell the difference between their rights to get their hair did, and their neighbors' right to not die.
Might as well turn your stem around completely 180 degrees. It's probably 'stable' and you probably won't be able to tell much difference.
I mean I can't tell the difference between the following two jpegs so it must be bullshit
As for the stem realignment, I like the idea, but what if I turned it 179.8765911° rather than a cool (if boring) 180°? #LifeAltering
little do you know, but those are my friend matt's glasses and were later given to eddie masters. good god were we all shitfaced that day. and danny hart even stayed on his bike so the frenchies could win or something.
After spending a bit of time on a long offset 29er... I can say it’s clearly got a different feel.
Where the hell you think I found that photo?
You guys brought that up for like 3 months
it begins now...SNOWSHOE WC BITCHEZ
They pointed out the jumps specifically. On courses like VDS, MSA or Champery the point out the speed, roughness, steepness etc. That's what the course needed! Norbar standing in the rock gap beating a dead horse while the women jumped over his head.
ridemonkey.bikemag.com
I have mentioned this before, but your brain is an amazing control system that can adapt to a lot of different situations. Stem length probably changes the dynamics of a bike a few percent at best. Swap two stems of different length out and most people will be able immediately tell. Then after a while riding it, they will adapt and at the end of the day it will make little difference. Perhaps if you are trying to shave a few tenths from a 3 minute run it may make a difference, but that will only impact 40% or so of the people here.
it looks like you quoted jackalope by accident
I wanted to correct your spelling, but then realized I live in the South and that's probably the correct spillin down here (as you likely know from your time in Virginny)...
You're just jealous you missed all the fun.Where the hell you think I found that photo?
You guys brought that up for like 3 months
it begins now...SNOWSHOE WC BITCHEZ
They pointed out the jumps specifically. On courses like VDS, MSA or Champery the point out the speed, roughness, steepness etc. That's what the course needed! Norbar standing in the rock gap beating a dead horse while the women jumped over his head.
We generally just call it thinkin'I wanted to correct your spelling, but then realized I live in the South and that's probably the correct spillin down here (as you likely know from your time in Virginny)...
Flipping through those photos made my fake hip hurt, pretty sure that's where i dislocated it the first time and ended up needing surgery a few years back. Slammed a tree mid air going mach 10 after blowing a turn in the greasy mud.
Yea but world cup spectating is a different level of partying.
this guy is clearly ahead of the curve.
Vintage Trek frame bullhorn mustache bars single speed fixie project...
Bought this old Trek frame / bike for a single speed city cruiser project. I no longer have the...
denver.craigslist.org
Was probably concerned about his reach measurement.this guy is clearly ahead of the curve.
Vintage Trek frame bullhorn mustache bars single speed fixie project...
Bought this old Trek frame / bike for a single speed city cruiser project. I no longer have the...denver.craigslist.org
I’d suggest putting a Monster T on it (20mm axle), so he could have run the bars upside down, while maintaining the same total stack height to his bars.
After putting a phone on my E-Bike's handlebar I found that the phone would create lift at high speed and make the front end unstable, so I did this 1 Simple trick-
^^^
"Some riders use their arms to hold on."
"Some riders use their arms to hold on."
Sounds complicated.
Welp, all I can say is that going to 50mm and no spacers from 40mm and a 15mm spacer is "different". The extra reach is good though.
The trails I've been riding lately have been so sandy that it's tough to tell what is even happening in the corners.
The trails I've been riding lately have been so sandy that it's tough to tell what is even happening in the corners.
No fucking way.
I've got a damper on the mx bike, it lives turned wayyyy down on the low speed to the "its not there" setting... the high speed circuit is what does the work. Because the thing totally kills feedback and feel on loose stuff and slow sand, however 70+mph sand its nice to have it cranked up especially if your tired, but its really shit when you get back into the technical.
So on a bicycle im not seeing many positives.......
No feel through the bars...
"All these rocks and stuff in the way"
That guy needs more shit on the front of his bike. Namely stem spacers.
I'm so glad mountainbiking is more accessible to a wider range of consumers now. Yay.
I installed Syntace Force a few weeks ago. This is my first experience with a syntace product, and so far a positive one. This was a replacement for my FSA OS which I decided was a little too long for me (120mm). The 100mm F109 Stem seems to be well made, nicely finished and looks great,although the carbon face plate of my FSA did provide a visual advantage over the twin hollowed out aluminium semicircles used on the F109, but i guess the paring off of 50 grams had to come from somewhere. Installation went smoothly and there's no notice of flexing while riding, despite the ridiculousely light weight of the stem. I'm happy.
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Road bike me thinks.