Classic & Vintage - What size stem do you use?

Hey Classic & Vintage participants, what size stem do you use and do you use any degree of rise (with a 90 degree stem yielding 0 rise)

Secondly, how long is too long and why?

Personally, I use a 130mm, 90degree quill stem on my peugeot psvn.

I don't quite understand the reasoning behind a 90 deg. stem yielding "zero rise" Here is a traditional road stem:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/images/products/saddles/nitto16-040.jpg

The angle between the quill and extension should be the same as the frame head angle for zero rise, as I understand it. A 90 deg. stem would stick up at a funny angle when inserted in a 73 deg. steering head.

As for length, if what came on the bike does not work for you, change it to something that does. I ride a 21" (c-to-t) frame and two bikes I bought new came with 90mm stems, but I changed them to 100mm because my arms are longer than most people's my height. There used to be a rule of thumb that if you placed your elbow against the nose of the saddle, your extended fingers should reach the top of the handlebar. However, modern bike fitting theories have shot this down.

I believe a 90 degree stem is said to have zero rise, as it's perpendicular to the steering column. Whereas, the "7" shaped stem you showed has some degree of negative rise

It all depends on how one defines "rise." I think of the traditional 7 shape as having neutral, or 0, rise.

... There used to be a rule of thumb that if you placed your elbow against the nose of the saddle, your extended fingers should reach the top of the handlebar. However, modern bike fitting theories have shot this down. I still use that rule, although my fingertips fall up to about 1 cm behind the handlebar. In which direction has this been shot down? too close? too far?

I still use that rule, although my fingertips fall up to about 1 cm behind the handlebar. In which direction has this been shot down? too close? too far?http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/utter-rubbish.html

http://www.rollingscrapheap.com/temp/PICT0041.JPG

yeehaw.. I like a stem which doesnt put the handle bars so forward as I have shorter than usual arms I think. its raised quite high as im so used to upright bars, or maybe the frame size on the bike is small height wise.

I use different stems on different bikes. My Giant Excursion frame is a tad on the small side for me, so I used a longer stem to offset that 110mm Nitto Road IRIC. My Redline has the stem that came on it. I have slightly longer than average arms for my height. My old road bike was a 64cm frame and I used a 90mm extension on it. My basic riding posture has changed a bit as I have aged, I prefer my handle bars higher than I did say 20 years ago:p

Aaron:)

yeehaw.. I like a stem which doesnt put the handle bars so forward as I have shorter than usual arms I think. its raised quite high as im so used to upright bars, or maybe the frame size on the bike is small height wise.

Your seat is as far forward as I've ever seen one, and your stem is almost zero reach. If you needed a shorter reach you would have to start hacking out sections of the top tube. :D

yeehaw.. I like a stem which doesnt put the handle bars so forward as I have shorter than usual arms I think. its raised quite high as im so used to upright bars, or maybe the frame size on the bike is small height wise.

Interesting that you mention this, for those short stems are ideal when fitting North Road handlebars on an older English machine. Toptubes on the old roadsters usually make up for handlebar stem length, and the short stem gives the bike beautiful handling characteristics.

As for a stem that short on a drop-bar machine, I have my doubts...very much dependent on how you ride, in my opinion.

Case in point, I don't care for bending foward too much on very low-mounted bars - yet, I've found that the combination of a short stem extension and bars placed at my usual height (roughly 5.5 inches from the top of the fork crown), will feel royally cramped to ride, even if it places my upper body slightly closer upwards.

Good rule to follow: If your forearm is quite close (or touching) the top bend of the handlebar, you need a longer stem.

-Kurt

There used to be a rule of thumb that if you placed your elbow against the nose of the saddle, your extended fingers should reach the top of the handlebar. However, modern bike fitting theories have shot this down.

And not too accurate a rule. Different bars have different foward extension and vertical drop, saddles have various nose lengths, and some riders sit farther foward then others, or vise versa.

While I have no accurate way to calculate the following to various bodies, I've found that if I standardize - from my most comfortable machine - the length measurement from saddle center to the center of where I place my palms on the handlebar, to my entire fleet, I'll have little problems with riding comfort.

Now if I could only come up with a formula for that, although it is probably impossible - perfectly comfortable "fits" are a subjective topic.

-Kurt

Interesting that you mention this, for those short stems are ideal when fitting North Road handlebars on an older English machine. Toptubes on the old roadsters usually make up for handlebar stem length, and the short stem gives the bike beautiful handling characteristics.

As for a stem that short on a drop-bar machine, I have my doubts...very much dependent on how you ride, in my opinion.

Case in point, I don't care for bending foward too much on very low-mounted bars - yet, I've found that the combination of a short stem extension and bars placed at my usual height (roughly 5.5 inches from the top of the fork crown), will feel royally cramped to ride, even if it places my upper body slightly closer upwards.

Good rule to follow: If your forearm is quite close (or touching) the top bend of the handlebar, you need a longer stem.

-Kurt

Your "forearm" rule makes sense!