The sweet spot is generally accepted as being
100mm to 120mm
, but not everyone agrees. ‘It’s a bit of a cliché that a too-short stem will over-quicken the handling. It’s only true to a point,’ says Phil Cavell, director of Cyclefit in London.
How do I choose the right stem length?
One good rule of thumb for choosing the correct length stem (and it works for the road.cc team) is
to sit on the bike with your hands on the top of the hoods and look down at the front hub
. If the stem length is correct, the handlebars should completely hide the front hub.
How long should my stem be?
Ideally, the stem should be
long enough to place some of the rider’s weight over the front wheel to stabilise the steering and improve grip on the road
. At the same time, the stem should provide a steering arc that complements the head angle and trail of the bike.
Why is a shorter stem better?
Shorter stems correctly
orientate a rider’s forward-leaning weight directly over the front axle
, which has a range of benefits by mass-pressuring the wheel when descending. The result is truer steering response and better tyre grip in dusty or muddy terrain.
Is 110mm stem too long?
In my experience, a stem length of
90
-110 on that size frame is not unusual and could be a well sized stem for the bike and rider as long as all the other fit elements are correct.
Is a 90mm stem too short?
The sweet spot is generally accepted as being 100mm to 120mm, but not everyone agrees. ‘It’s a bit of a cliché that a
too-short
stem will over-quicken the handling. … ‘Needing a 70mm-80mm stem probably means bike sizing needs to be reviewed, but many riders are happy to ride a 70 or 80 or 90mm stem without difficulty.
Is 60mm stem too short?
60 might be a little short
. 70 sounds short but not unreasonable. a shorter stem will make the bike feel twitchy.
Is 60mm stem too long?
A longer stem shifts your body weight towards the front of the bike and puts you in a better pedaling position, especially on those steep climbs. … For those aggressive trail bikes out there, we recommend using a stem in the 50-
60mm length
range.
Is 130mm stem too long?
Registered. A
130 is not too long
, and the difference in handling or steering response may or may not be noticable depending on the rider.
Is a shorter stem more comfortable?
Stem length, orientation and height all influence comfort, bike handling and aerodynamics. A shorter stem implies
a more responsive bike
as well as less input from the rider needed to initiate turns. When seated, a longer stem helps lengthen the rider reach, putting the upper body in a lower more aerodynamics position.
Can a MTB stem be too short?
So from the Mondraker experiment I would say that at least for now
10 mm is too short
. From my testing and the testing of our coaches and friends we believe the ideal is 35-50 mm and 60-70 mm a compromise for riders with frames that are too short. Frame length (reach and chainstay) for better bike handling.
How does stem height affect handling?
Registered. A
longer stem tends to slow down handling a bit
, shorter stems the opposite (think about the stem as a radius going through an arc — a longer stem swoops a larger arc for the same angle). This has a small effect for much riding, where bike lean does most of the steering.
Is 70mm stem too short for road bike?
A short stem will effect handling by making your bike feel twitchier.
70mm is quite short but
unless you’re riding a technical course, it is doable. Having a short torso, I ofetn have to resort to 70 and 80 cm stems. The bike can handle well with a short stem, but it takes practice.
Is 50mm stem good?
The individual, their bike, and fit are all going to come into play here, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people are probably best off on a 50mm stem with
between 760-780mm bars
. … The longer stem will help you keep the front wheel weighted on climbs and in corners better than a short stem.
Does lowering stem increase reach?
Registered. No, dropping the bars does not effect the position of your seat. Your seat should be set by leg length and position behind the BB.
Dropping the bars will lengthen your reach
but to fix that you would get a shorter stem.
