Originally Posted by
First timer
Looking into the Stem going to get the Ritchey stem but since i am new to this, what is the major difference between the +/- 17 vs the +/- 6? I am confussed a bit by this.
+6 = the stem raises the handlebars above the part of the steering tube it's clamped to, at a 6 degree angle.
-6 = the stem lowers the bars at a 6 degree angle
+17 = the stem raises the bars at a 17 degree angle
-17 = the stem lowers the bars at a 17 degree angle
A + and - 6 stem are the same stem; you take it off, flip it upside down, and put it back on. The difference between 6 and 17 degrees is pretty big.
Going from an old quill stem to a modern one isn't trivial. I mean, it's not the hardest thing anyone has ever done, but it's not going to work without an adapter.