Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - raising stem over recommended amoutn

Just a question about the risks of raising the stem above the recommended amount.

I don't know if the bullhorns made it feel longer then it actually is but since i have switched to a straight bar it feels smaller.

Just wondering whats the risk. I put a decent amount of pressure on it as i was riding it. and i will carry my tools with me so if i need to adjust it i can. But whats the risk?

Thanks a bunch in advance.

I'm not sure how it applies to bikes, but a lot of factory recommendations are just safety precautions. In tennis (kind of my reference point of a lot of things) each racquet has a recommended tension range and its okay to go outside it so long as you are not putting too much extra tension on the frame. Is it the same for bikes?

BTW i also have the seat higher then the recommended amount, and thats been fine so far.

What's the risk?

Worst case scenario, your stem snaps off and you're left holding a pair of handebars attached to nothing. An SUV driven by an elderly Asian man pulls out in front of you and without brakes or usable handlebars, go crashing through his rear windshield. The impact causes severe head trauma because you aren't wearing a helmet and the broken class cuts through your neck. The elderly Asian man is scarred for life and you have to live with the responsibility of having caused this.

One risk is that you will put whatever mechanism spreads out at the bottom of the stem close to the threads on your steerer tube. This could bulge the threads out, ruining your fork.

The bottom line is, that minimum insertion line is there for a reason. IMO it's not worth it to mess around outside that safety zone when the stem is such an important part of your bike---a tennis racket will not break a you face if it fails. Just get yourself a technomic or similar long-quilled stem. Apparently SR made some long ass stems to go with suntour stem shifters that you can get for a lot cheaper than a technomic at your local coop.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=6032503&postcount=26

that sounds like the worst case scenario, or close to it. you could get a stem in your eye too!

but it depends on how much you are raising, and how much is left.

some quill stem's max extension is shorter than others. I personally wouldn't do it if you can avoid it, but depending how much is left it probably won't bring a major calamity. new stem is a better option tho.

Just keep it tightened down and check for wobblies/looseness often. I wouldn't really expect a catastrophic "snap" type failure if its a reasonably new and decent stem.

yeah, it's a great idea for commiting suicide because you never know when it'll go. wait...but why do you want to kill yourself?

Worst case scenario, your stem snaps off and you're left holding a pair of handebars attached to nothing. An SUV driven by an elderly Asian man pulls out in front of you and without brakes or usable handlebars, go crashing through his rear windshield.

That's why you should attach your brake lever to your top-tube.

Just a question about the risks of raising the stem above the recommended amount.

BTW i also have the seat higher then the recommended amount, and thats been fine so far.

1) Bad idea to raise stem past min insertion, it's there FOR A REASON. And also note that the handlebars is one of the most stressed parts on a fixed gear since you're always cranking on it at low speeds to get up to speed

2) Seatpost above recommended amount? May destroy the frame. Although not nearly as bad as destroying a stem and the resulting accident.

You ride, what is called a smart bike. Smart in that the owner didn't want to spend the $20 and get a stem with the correct height and another $10 on the correct seatpost, risking not only his frame but an accident if that were to ever **** up.

Penny-wise, pound-foolish.

The amount of thought people put into their safety boggles my mind.

Alright thank you for all the advice, and it is not my wish to put my life in unneeded danger. So haven't left for school yet and will lower the stem and will work on getting a longer one.

Thank you for the advice.

I am all for cutting corners, but raising the stem and post above the minimum insertion line is foolish. Both problems can be solved with used parts from the LBS for not much money.

jim

so i will now make a journey to my LBS and see if i can find a longer step.

you can always find a taller stem. the nitto technomic stem is crazy tall, qbp carries it, and your lbs should be able to order it for you. http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='1172-10'

2) Seatpost above recommended amount? May destroy the frame. Although not nearly as bad as destroying a stem and the resulting accident.


Penny-wise, pound-foolish.

recommend longer seat post please

thompson

Just keep it tightened down and check for wobblies/looseness often. I wouldn't really expect a catastrophic "snap" type failure if its a reasonably new and decent stem.

This is perfect advice.....to ignore.

Why do you think there is a minimum insertion line?

you need a longer seat post too? LBS! again, qbp has hundreds of seatposts. a kalloy (cheap brand) comes in all variety of lengths & sizes, shouldnt cost you more than $25-30

a better question is if the frame is your size in the first place - if you need a long seatpost & stem, you might want a larger frame.

you can find kalloy seatposts that are more than long enough for 18-20 dollars

recommend longer seat post please

There are plenty of seatpost available, the length you need is dependent upon what you currently have and how much more lenght you need.

Get started here http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=catalog&Category=185&type=T

As for the stem--I concur, it's not worth risking injuring yourself/messing up the rest of the components on your bike for the few extra mm you'll gain. You could get a new stem, or even post up in the Wanna Trade thread, see if anyone has a longer stem they'd like to get rid of.

As for a seat post...most LBS have plenty of no-names in stock, just go in and see if they have something longer to fit your frame. Probably cost you $10.

You have a third, probably better option than any of those--get a bigger frame. If the frame is sized properly, you shouldn't have to come anywhere near the max lines on either seatpost or stem.

just to be clear, you are talking about raising a quill stem above the recommended point? I can't imaging how anyo other arrangemnt you can raise a stem period right?

just to be clear, you are talking about raising a quill stem above the recommended point? I can't imaging how anyo other arrangemnt you can raise a stem period right?

usually when you begin a line with "just to be clear", it makes sense. yours is a special case.

Long quill stems are so cheap, even new. There is no reason to risk that kind of foolishness. Same goes for the seatpost.

What's the risk?

Worst case scenario, your stem snaps off and you're left holding a pair of handebars attached to nothing. An SUV driven by an elderly Asian man pulls out in front of you and without brakes or usable handlebars, go crashing through his rear windshield. The impact causes severe head trauma because you aren't wearing a helmet and the broken class cuts through your neck. The elderly Asian man is scarred for life and you have to live with the responsibility of having caused this.

very kafkaesque.