Length of fork steerer tube?

[Morwa]

I'm going to buy a new fork for my hardtail. What is the typical length of the steerer tube above the top part of the headset. I know it's personal preference and the length will also determine how high the stem and handlebar will be. I don't want to cut the thing to short. Is there some golden rule, that will suit the majority of the hubbers?

[Thumper]

I doubt there is a common length out there.

Spend the cash and get a propper bike fitting done.

[andretraut]

I'm going to buy a new fork for my hardtail. What is the typical length of the steerer tube above the top part of the headset. I know it's personal preference and the length will also determine how high the stem and handlebar will be. I don't want to cut the thing to short. Is there some golden rule, that will suit the majority of the hubbers?

There is no golden rule, except for a stack height limit of 40mm for carbon steerer tubes. Start riding with the maximum stack height, and then drop 5 or 10 mm at a time, placing the spacer on top of the stem until you find your ideal position. Once you have settled on this position, take your bike on a long distance ride, and if you do not experience any back pain, or numbness in your hands after 100km, cut the excess tube off. You could leave a 5 mm spacer above the stem, but anything more than this looks stupid. I prefer no spacers above the stem, as specified by my bike brand, Specialized, but the lower the tube is cut, the more the resale value will drop.

Edited May 4, 2011 by andrè traut

[The techguy]

Spend the money and get a Specialized BG Fit done by a trained technician...

[AndreZA]

If you are replacing an existing fork why not just measure the old one. If you are happy with the setup keep it the same. If it is too low down add 20mm.

[Morwa]

TX for all the comments and feedback. I got my new fork today, and will fit it to a new 29er frame as well, so unfortunately I can’t use my "old" 26er setup as a reference.

 

One thing I've picked up reading trough the Fox manual is that it specify ...."not to use more than 30mm of height of steerer stem spacers under the steerer stem, as this condition can cause the steerer tube to fail prematurely, resulting in SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH". - Quoting from the Fox manual!

 

So bottom line is to use < 30mm below the stem and maybe leave 5 mm above the stem.

[AndreZA]

You see, if you said you were changing from a 26" to 29" then the answers would have been different. Your seat height will still be the same on both bikes so will the drop/rise from the seat to the bars. On 29ers the stems are normally right on top of the headset because of the raised head tube.