Speaking of spacers, there should always be a spacer on top of the stem if you have a carbon fibre fork, and the steerer should extend into the spacer. That way the full length of the stem clamp engages with the steerer, reducing the chance of damage to the top of it. However, you can still find quill stems on some retro-style fixies and singlespeed bikes, as well as some boutique custom builds or cheaper town bikes. Bike stem standards Oh gotcha! Hmm, I don't think anyone but you (and maybe a trained bike fitter) could say what's "right" or "too long." Certainly nothing wrong with a 60-70mm stem if that's what feels good to your particular body on your particular bike. Plus, stems are cheap and easy to change so go nuts experimenting.

Nukeproof Horizon Stem – Nukeproof Bikes Nukeproof Horizon Stem – Nukeproof Bikes

For steerer tubes, the typical diameter is 1-1/8in, although some bikes will have a 1-1/4in steerer diameter. The Focus Atlas is an example of a gravel bike with a relatively short stem. Felix Smith / Immediate Media Stems are often designed to be flippable, so depending on the amount of rise, you can angle the stem down to achieve a lower, more aerodynamic position, or up to put the handlebar in a more upright position.Chain reaction Cycles and CRC are trading names of Wiggle Ltd (In Administration) registered in the United Kingdom at 1000 Lakeside, Suite 310, Third Floor N E Wing, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EN, With a rainbow palette of anodised colours, the Race Face Turbine R stem indulges your creative side. Whether you choose to go mild or wild, the sturdy forged and CNC’d body is stiff enough for the widest of bars and burliest of builds and even comes in a stubby 32mm length if you’re looking for a truly direct steering response. The gapless clamp holds bars securely and spreads loads evenly, while the rounded-off edges of the steerer clamp keep the opposing bolts away from your knees. As we’ve already touched upon, road bike stems typically range from 80mm to 120mm on most off-the-shelf bikes, with 100mm or 110mm common on size medium bikes.

Best mountain bike stems reviewed and rated by experts - MBR Best mountain bike stems reviewed and rated by experts - MBR

Between the stem faceplate and steerer tube, the stem is made up of a length of aluminium or carbon fibre, though titanium is occasionally used.

Quill stems went out of fashion because the contemporary bolt-on stem and fork design is stronger and lighter. It’s easier to manufacture too, because with a quill stem the steerer tube needs to be threaded, with a screw-on top headset bearing. but with long legs. Running 70mm +17° stem on the gravel bike (over a shed load of spacers) with 460mm flared bars, annoys me how shit it looks, but it’s comfy and can ride it all day without pinching shoulders that I get if even having it at 80/90mm stem. In reality an L frame would have probably suited me better than XL due to lanky legs. As a result, fine-tuning the stem can be one way to tweak the handling of your bike – but remember, your stem doesn’t exist in isolation and changing the stem length will also impact your position on the bike. CNC-machined from a heat-treated 2014-series aluminum and hard anodized, the Apex 35 features clamps with a 240-degree wrap, allowing Renthal to make the body of the stem a bigger diameter to increase stiffness while saving as much weight as possible. The twin clamps also use a zero-gap design, so they close fully at the bottom and then you snug up the top two bolts using a crisscross process. This simplifies the setup because you just bottom out the lower bolts to correct torque and then ensure even tightening of the top two. When a fastener is threaded all the way through the clamp it makes it stronger, there is less stress on the bolts, and you also reduce the risk of rounding a bolt head or clamping the faceplate unevenly. Old-school bikes had a quill stem. This was an inverted L-shape, with the shaft of the stem slotting down into the top of the fork’s steerer tube, and secured by an expander bolt with an (in most cases) Allen key head at its top.

Nukeproof Horizon Stem | Chain Reaction Nukeproof Horizon Stem | Chain Reaction

As above really. Currently, running a 90 mm +10 degrees, but occasionally feeling a bit stretched out. I know it’s not that long for a stem, but I’d be interested to hear if anyone has experimented with short stems (<70 mm). Love the look of the Easton Haven stem, but only comes in 55mm or 70mm – would i notice much difference going up to the 70mm? Not really fancying going any shorter to 55mm… Perhaps the main USP of the Burgtec Enduro MK3 is that it is available in a 42.5mm length. It may sound daft and all rather Princess-and-the-pea, but a couple of mm here and there with stems can certainly be felt by experienced riders. So if you’ve tried 40mm and 45mm stems and not quite gelled with them, here’s the (42.5mm length) stem for you! Stem length has a big impact on the overall fit and ride of your bike. David Caudery / Immediate MediaThe steering response with the Apex is very good and we found it feels solid on the bike. There’s a slight amount of torsional flex, especially when really wrenching on the bar, but on a stiff, carbon-framed e-MTB with carbon wheels, a little bit of flex is no bad thing as it improves ride feel. I’m a regular average sized person though so I fit most bikes in my preferred size without making dramatic changes. I know taller people are more likely to use longer stems for ergonomic purposes and short people might use shorter stems to fit their bikes better. Most stems tend to come between 30 and 50mm these days. Shorter stems aren't technically "better", they will give your bike sharper and faster reacting handling. How we test Mountain Stems Handlebar Clamp Diameters 35 mm | 31.8 mm A35 Lengths 32 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm A318 Lengths 30 mm | 40 mm | 50 mm There’s plenty to consider if changing or upgrading your stem, from its length and angle to the material a stem is made from and compatibility with your handlebar and steerer tube.