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Ok So Whats With The Stems....


Dan81

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you'll have to excuse my outdated views but I need someone to explain why the stems on stock bikes have got so long?

the last time I rode (ok ok it was many many years ago) anything up to 50mm was acceptable and anything over 75mm would have got you laughed at all the way to the bike shop (to get a shorter one)...

Im gonna build up my Czar freetrials with a 'streety' set up (it'll probably never see any 'natural' riding)...but do I really need one of these monsters for it to handle properly? Is it to make the front end feel lighter when on the back wheel?

I dont want it to feel like steering a ship for 'run up and jump' stuff......

advice needed.

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130? you must be kidding right? ....really? I don't think I could face putting a mick hucknall stem on there

it all depends on your riding style, vincent hermance ust to ride a koxx xtp and used a 135x20 stem i think it is off top of my head and they only had 10 or so bb rise i think so in theory there was need for such a big stem just depends on your style. If your streety stick to short with nice set of risers. If your more technical or tgs you may want something longer and higher to improve rear wheel control.

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Ive got an atomz oversized stem (115x20) going spare, or Ive got an FSA carbon wrapped jobbie which is 100x6 I think; both are 31.8mm clamp.

Also got a kore 100x0 that I used to run on my zoo boa (1050/385/+10) and that is 25.4 bar clamp :)

I found that the stem greatly improved leverage for getting up stuff, it can limit your ability to pull it up into a manual though if your bars are too low. For a streety setup I would go for around the 100-110mm length and angle to suit how high you want the bars.

Edited by forteh
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thanks for all the replies....thinking of maybe a used Kore or something 80-90mm with about 10deg rise - theres a new TruVativ Ive seen in white as well.

See what happens - its hard to tell what length/height I'll need while Ive just got a frame sat on the living room carpet.

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thanks for all the replies....thinking of maybe a used Kore or something 80-90mm with about 10deg rise - theres a new TruVativ Ive seen in white as well.

See what happens - its hard to tell what length/height I'll need while Ive just got a frame sat on the living room carpet.

Cant remember what the czars bb height extactly is but ino its not high. Usually a higher stem is used for 2 things to counter the bb rise usually on high bb bikes because having your feet higher will make you feel like you going over the front end, and to improve rear wheel control. The downside is that if your into you manuels and bunnyhops its not good as the front end is to hard to pull up. By the sounds of it your the type of rider into your manuels and old skool riding so your going to want the front end to pull up nicely. If you was only going to be doing 180's 360's manuels and stuff and pritty much no real trials just more bmxy stuff then a 60mm stem would be good, but if you are planning on doing some trials mixed in so like john shrewsbury style then the 60mm i would say would really hinder the control on the back wheel and being able to gap decent so in that case i would go for something around 90 with 10 rise or so and fiddle with spacers. Putting more spacers under should help the front end come up. And stem around that will suit the frame its just a matter of you getting the spacers right and a nice set of bars you like.

thought id try help you abit more, hope its helped

Edited by basher
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Same question I had for my new dob 26 frame,, yer yer snappy dob.

Im only 5 6 tall .

so Im thinking 100 with a 10 degree rise thomson X4 and Easton carbon dh risers

sound ok ??

or a 90 wich ive had on all my bikes for about 18 years.

Edited by Christophe'
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thanks again...

Its a 10mm bb as its supposedly a streety frame. At the mo I have an ancient mtb frame with a 50mm stem and some azonic risers. Ill be keeping those cos I like the shape but I want this bike to be a lot lighter and easier to ride on the back wheel for 'normal trials'....at the mo (old bike) its really heavy feeling and quite low at the front, something I want to get away from. I was just thinking that long stems would make it feel useless for the rolling stuff.

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