Rockman Kortz 2!

[Sponge]

Pro riders like Gilles, Vincent, and Kenny, pretty much well sort of kick started back that tread of using higher rise/longer stems around 2yrs ago, which are now commonplace use on todays stock riding/bikes. The most noticeable riding benefits over lower rise are low and high backwheel control, pivoting, angling, and turning the bike around, more room to throw your bodyweight, more comfortable frontwheel control particularly doing front-to-back moves. There are pretty much no downsides to running higher rise longer length stems (25-30 rise 125-145mm length) for todays riding. Ultimately, it is still a matter of personal choice

2 years ago, high BB frames already existed in full force. 4 years ago Deng introduced a boat load of high BB frames, that's where the higher/longer stem trend started. Gilles, Vincent and Kenny were still on lower BB frames back then.

There is too much of a 'good thing', so I'm wondering where's the limit? If higher and longer really was that good then why is no one running a T-Master stem? (40 degree and 300 metres long). I know of the disadvantages to longer stems, but what's stopping people from wanting to try 30 or 35 degrees? 25 still seems most popular. Why?

[Rusevelt]

Any stem rise above 25 degrees (27-30 rise is ok if your not running too high stem stackers) doesn't really work on stock bikes because its too high when you wanna pull the bike vertically when doing hooks, and other high backwheel moves. I don't think the why is really important, its just the current movement or trend that 25 rise stem is the idea benchmark for stock bikes.