Road Cycling - Oh the stem this, Oh the stem that, shut the F*ck up!

Why do folks insist on making stem comments?
Unless they've ridden the bike and have
the same requirements of the person riding it,
how do they know what's the correct angle, lentht etc??

"oh, it should be 'this' or 'that stem needs to be...'" AAargh!!!

Friggin' dolts.


What about this guys stem?
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v243/elisabethdrooling/obree_orig.jpg
"Yo G. if you had a longer extension stem you'd be more efficient..."

I'm curious as to what spawned this particular post. Can you point to some other specific posts/threads as a reference?

Oh, put *me* on the spot :) hehe, no, i jsut read a thread where
someone got a nice custom built bike and already someone
is suggesting what the stem should be like..

Thing is, it 'ain't' the first time i've read someone saying that a stem
isn't what they're used to seeing in Nashbar and therefore must be
wrong for them...

Anyone else troubled by this? Prolly not.:)

Thing is, it 'ain't' the first time i've read someone saying that a stem
isn't what they're used to seeing in Nashbar and therefore must be
wrong for them...

Anyone else troubled by this? Prolly not.:)

While, I think it would be presumptious for anyone here to state what's right and wrong for another person, I do think it's okay for someone to say that they think something looks odd with the caveat that it's all just opinion. I usually find that a better approach is to point out that something looks unusual and ask how it came to be that way. This provides a neutral ground for discussion.

I like this guy.

It's a legitimate post.

Man, I remember in other message boards when this one guy would talk about "nose shadow" this, "nose shadow" that! F#$% the NOSE SHADOW. And F#$% the catchlights. Did the master Helmut Newton care about this? NO!@!!

As a short rider, 67", I will occasionally get comments that my stem is too short or that my seatpost doesn't stick out far enough. Frequently this is from a 6 footer or taller. Doesn't it make sense that everything is relevant or should be proportional?
Evidently not to everybody.

We have a large training series down here, called the nestor cup www.nestorcup.com We do it in a team format. I was talking to a group of the B riders about their positions, as a lot of newer folks ride way to upright, and catch way to much wind.

If they were on our B squad (bicycle link) , I helped them get more aero, flipping stems, lowering bar etc.

If they were on another team, I told them everything looks good. HAHA! Now when they roll out, all the guys in red have a flat back when in the drops, and the other teams heads/chests are sticking up above.

I'm curious as to what spawned this particular post. Can you point to some other specific posts/threads as a reference?

She/he must be talking about sorebutt's thread. :rolleyes:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=56279&page=1

i've seen similar responses in several threads, but yes,
that's what finally pushed me into the character symbols!! :D

Why do folks insist on making stem comments?
Unless they've ridden the bike and have
the same requirements of the person riding it,
how do they know what's the correct angle, lentht etc??

"oh, it should be 'this' or 'that stem needs to be...'" AAargh!!!

Friggin' dolts.


What about this guys stem?
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v243/elisabethdrooling/obree_orig.jpg
"Yo G. if you had a longer extension stem you'd be more efficient..."

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=54957

Guess he just wanted to be the fastest.

It's just a web board. There's good advice and there's bad. Take and leave it as you see fit.

Didn't Graham Obree try to commit suicide because he didn't like the stem on his bike?

Just Kidding!!!!!!!

i had no idea what he went through. wow.
that's an excellent article.

i had no idea what he went through. wow.
that's an excellent article.

Wasn't sure if you knew\ were referring to him, Yo-G is right.

I just recoqnized the 'Mantis' position.

That's some read, some rider. You got what you wanted, something different. :)

>jef.

Wasn't sure if you knew\ were referring to him, Yo-G is right.

I just recoqnized the 'Mantis' position.

That's some read, some rider. You got what you wanted, something different. :)

>jef.
all that was going on when i had just gotten into mtn. biking for a few years, i had
no idea the story behind it, just that he and Boardman were smashing a record that
had been dormant for 20 years every few months. And i remember that his 'bike' was
disqualified, but i never knew what a nice bunch of dudes the UCI were...
wow. think i'll continue to ride for 'fun'. :(

...just that he and Boardman were smashing a record that
had been dormant for 20 years every few months.

Uhhhh, that would be 9 years.

i forgot about Moser--i'm sure he'd appreciate that--must not have had my
heartrate monitor on--hehe, i was thinking the last record was by Merckx in '72-
still worng of course since that would have been 24 years.

Why do folks insist on making stem comments?
Unless they've ridden the bike and have
the same requirements of the person riding it,
how do they know what's the correct angle, lentht etc??

"oh, it should be 'this' or 'that stem needs to be...'" AAargh!!!

Friggin' dolts.


What about this guys stem?
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v243/elisabethdrooling/obree_orig.jpg
"Yo G. if you had a longer extension stem you'd be more efficient..."


I got a lot of grief about the stem on my new bike..:) some people were down right agressive..LOL
Well, it is MY bike, MY stem, and thats is how I like it.. SO THERE! :)

I didn't think stem size mattered. Isn't it the motion that matters? (couldn't help that)

i forgot about Moser--i'm sure he'd appreciate that--must not have had my
heartrate monitor on--hehe, i was thinking the last record was by Merckx in '72-
still worng of course since that would have been 24 years.
still wrong even at that, '72-'93 would be 21 years. :p

Um...that was a *test*... :rolleyes:

Anyway the Copernican calendar is messed up
beyond repair anyway--what? Who's snickering!?
I said "Shut Up!"...This is about stem angle and
it's important....if you guys want to fart around
with your 'arithmetic' that's fine--do it on your
time. Now where was i... :D