Mountain Biking - Stem angles and lengths? help!

Hi all,

Ok i just ditched the 110mm x 5deg stem i had, and put an old 90mmx10deg stem i had in the spare box. Now all of a sudden, i can pull wheelies (for the first time in my life) and i could also pull up without pedalling.

Now there must be some strange gravitational anomaly in my parking lot, or i had an overnight sleeping-wheelie101. Since both are not the case i guess its the shorter stem.

My knees have a distance of 9" from the bars (straight) at the closest point (knee high) and touch the bars when the bars are at a 45-50deg angle.

My options are to get either a 90mm X 5deg (thomson), or 70mm x 0deg (thomson), or a 70mm x 10deg (non thomson).

What do you reckon guys? .i just want the correct angle/length... i ll figure out myself about the brand (thomson, easton vice or diabolus).

The question is... will the 70mm be too short given the measurements i gave earlier on with the 90mm i currently have?

What will be the effect between 0, 5, 10 degress rise on the stem? (riding-wise).

thanks a lot!
Yannis.

Personally, I like Thomson or Race Face Diabolous stems. I've got a 50 mm RF Dia on my DJ bike, and a Thomson 90mm (if I remember right) on my Enduro.

I'm going to try out the RF on the Enduro just for fun. I'll let you know how it turns out, but right now, I'm liking the 90 on it, so I may just leave it.

Don't want to stir the sheet pot too much!

L8R

Cheers Vic,

My only problem is that i am in a bit of a hurry to order one through my sis in law. Any ideas given the distances i gave earlier on?

Math,

Order the Diabolous 70 mm with a bit of rise. It will be fine.

Math,

Order the Diabolous 70 mm with a bit of rise. It will be fine.

Burly, is there much of a difference between the 0deg 70mm rise thomson and the 10deg 70mm Diabolus?

(apart from style and 100gr weight difference).

My biggest concern is fit. Is it normal for the knees to touch the bars at 45-50degree wheel deflection (at the shortest possible point between knee bars ...knee high).????

It's pretty normal. I know I can touch my shifter paddles with my knee, with the 90 stem.

The difference isn't significant in overal cockpit length. It will tighten up your steering and make rider input more dramatic. Your bike will steer quicker as the fulcrum length of the moment arm is shortened.

L8R

Cool...70mm diabolus or thomson then!!!! time to have powersteering at last :D:D:D

Vic thanks man, if you try the diabolus on the SX drop me a line.

i didn't see if this was answered or not...

the reason you can pull up w/ a shorter stem is your weight is not over the front end as much. a wheelies balance point is over the rear of the bike. if your weight is further toward the front of the bike, it's harder to get the front to come up....

I don't know about the degree stuff. I run a really really short stem and I run it upside down....