Stem length

[Mackie]

Please help. What effect does the length of your stem have? Shorter or Longer? I ride a medium frame and am 1,75m tall (or short whichever you prefer)

[JPW#]

Longer = faster , shorter = slower

Shorter = more comfort , longer = less comfort

Stem longer than 12cm frame is too small, stem shorter than 10cm frame is too big,  That's the rule of thumb for road bikes.Google has the more technical info.

 

[Iwan Kemp]

Shorter stem will give you better control and smoother, more direct steering in put. I am 178 and ride a 90mm on my Mojo. You have to take into account the type of riding you do and your bikes TT lenght.

 

But short stem with wider handlebar will be perfect world in most cases. What bike to you ride?

What type of riding do you do?

What lenght is on there at the moment?

[DeltaOscar]

Road or MTB?

Either way invest in a proper fitting by someone who knows what they are doing.

[Mackie]

GT Zaskar, Social rider, love the single track, Mostly XC riding. Currently have a 110mm stem with a 600mm EC70 flat bar. Whilst we on the subject Riser vs Flat bar?

Shorter stem will give you better control and smoother' date=' more direct steering in put. I am 178 and ride a 90mm on my Mojo. You have to take into account the type of riding you do and your bikes TT lenght.

 

But short stem with wider handlebar will be perfect world in most cases. What bike to you ride?

What type of riding do you do?

What lenght is on there at the moment?

[/quote']

[DeltaOscar]

Generally it depends on the type of riding you do.

2 extremes are:

 

XC Racing = long stems, flat low and narrow bars, steep head angles.

 

Downhill = short stems, wide riser bars, slack head angles.

 

Most riding we do is anywhere between the 2 extremes.

Get fitted, not just the stem as that is just 1 component.

Use that as a base you can always return to, then experiment and find whatever works best for you.