Completely agree with 53 as we have discussed the long versus short stem issue before on the board. I had to experiment on my large frame bike to find out for myself as well. My bike handled the same with a 80-130mm stem...may in fact felt more stable with a 80mm stem which I didn't expect. I also stated for others on the board that I asked the countries' leading bike expert Sheldon Brown and he confirmed it for me as well. I might add it was very kind of him to respond to my querry as an average cyclist..his recommend stem reach range was 80-120mm. Much of stem length convention...what people perceive as "correct" is born out of what racers ride. The fact is, racers are different than most recreational cyclists. Racers like to ride a smaller frame for aerodynamics and weight...which typically translates to a longer stem to optimize reach on a smaller bike. As a result, "the convention" of what is accepted as standard stem length has shifted over the years. When I was into cycling 30 years ago, even racers road bigger bikes with less seat post and 60-90mm stems. Back then a quilled stem of 110-130mm looked ungainly...and so it goes.
Believe SCcycler if you ride that big bike steadily, in not too much time you will be swapping out for a longer stem to get you more over the top bar and more aero.
Good Luck,
George
Last edited by biker7; 04-22-05 at 07:25 AM.