Stem Length and Handling
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512 days
Iron Dan posted 34 weeks ago.
A shorter stem with definitely make steering more responsive because you have to move your arms less with a shorter stem to turn your front wheel the same amount. I don't think there would be a point where you have diminishing returns; it might just take you longer to get accustomed to it.
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297 days
GGehrke posted 34 weeks ago.
My experience with this is that I have a 100mm stem on my road bike, but when I was building my fixie I chose a shorter, 60mm, stem due to the fact that the top tube was actually a smidge too long for me. It definitely did take some getting used to, and with my first set of handlebars (Profile bullhorns) it was very twitchy (probably also due to the lack of cables and a brand new headset), but now that I'm used to it I don't feel like there's any significant handling difference and I can switch back and forth between bikes no problem. So my opinion is to do what makes your arms feel best and you'll quickly adapt to any 'change' in steering.
727
Member
484 days
theShiba posted 34 weeks ago.
Thanks for the help, guys. I think I am definitely going to go with a super short stem then. Hopefully this will make things nice and comfy for me.
I'll let you know how it goes! :D
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1278 days
Triguy98 posted 34 weeks ago.
I had an 80mm on my tri bike. It definately took some getting used to, but on a tri bike you should be sterring by leaning even more than you do on a roadie. If your aerobars have a bit of adujstability, see if you can slide them back a little, too.
Life is short. Play hard and get dirty doing it.
858
Member
831 days
tsilcyc posted 34 weeks ago.
How short are you talking about? My wife had a really short stem put on and opted for the longer stem because she didn't like how it changed the handling.
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theShiba posted 34 weeks ago.
tsilcyc wrote:
How short are you talking about? My wife had a really short stem put on and opted for the longer stem because she didn't like how it changed the handling.
Well for me, I am willing to go down somewhere 60-70... My girlfriend wants a shorter stem too, but I am worried about the handling for her because she isn't as confident on the bike.
How did I change the handling for her? Too squirly? Too fast?
858
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831 days
tsilcyc posted 34 weeks ago.
It was actually shorter than that and it made it too squirly. Like most bikes, it was designed for a man so the top tube is too long for her. She changed the stem but prefers to be stretched out and have better handling.
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theShiba posted 34 weeks ago.
Okay... Right now she has a 110, so I'm hoping she can go down to something like a 75 and actually see some sort of improvement (and not make things worse).
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tsilcyc posted 34 weeks ago.
I doubt you will experience the problems my wife had with a 75. Don't quote me on this but I think she went from a 90 to a 35. It didn't really even go out much, it just kinda went up at an angle.
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Iron Dan posted 33 weeks ago.
A 35, is that just two clamps welded together? :)
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tsilcyc posted 33 weeks ago.
I'm telling you, it was the goofiest thing I'd ever seen.
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GGehrke posted 33 weeks ago.
Another thought on this occurred to me today. Be sure that the shorter stem doesn't result in banging your thighs on your aerobar elbow pads (presumably you are using aero bars).
I zip-tied the flip-up pads on my profile aerostryke into the down position today, and one result was that out of the saddle I am bumping the tops of my knees on the pads. For me it results in barely a touch, but a shorter stem would make it a problem. Depending on your exact setup, this could be another limiting factor to consider.
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727
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theShiba posted 33 weeks ago.
I'm using a road bike... But, I do appreciate the thought. It is definitely one of those things that could easily get looked over until you get on and go... "CRAP! I don't fit!"
And you know.... the more I think about it... I probably won't be getting a Tri-Bike anytime soon. I just don't think that it's worth it for the type of race I'm doing. I figure... I can still get a lot faster on the road bike. When I reach the peak of my speed on that, then maybe I'll think about a TT bike.
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Member
549 days
jperubog posted 30 weeks ago.
I am trying to shorten my wifes stem or reach just a little bit, does any one know of a brand(s) I could look up, bike stores in my area aren't real friendly or I should say I don't really trust them, I think the shortest I would go would be 60mm, and has anyone heard of using shorter handlebars, not in width but in reach? just wondering if anyone had any experience using them and how they impact the handling?
thanks
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947 days
fpugsley posted 30 weeks ago.
You can look at some of the online bike stores to find out what they carry along the lines of stems:
www.nashbar.com
www.jensonusa.com
www.performancebike.com
those are a few i can think of off the top of my head
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Member
484 days
theShiba posted 30 weeks ago.
Nashbar has some on the cheap. I they have a 65mm in their shop brand, and I think that's the shortest they carry. I just bought one for myself, and it seems pretty nice. Pretty standard fare. Not the lightest of stems, but I'm not that concerned about stem weight. I'd rather lose 1lb than worry about how heavy my stem is.
Looking to dial in the fit a bit on my road bike... The bars are within my reach fine, I don't feel like I am out of control, but I feel like I would have even more control if my bars were a bit loser to me. Right now my arms are pretty stretched out but not "reaching". I know if I went with a really short stem my arms would be closer to a 90º angle when resting on top of the hoods.
My question is, how short is too short? At what length does the stem become really hard to handle? I've heard that shorter stems can actually increase handling to a certain extent... Is there a point of diminishing returns?
Thanks for the help.