Originally Posted by
First timer
Thanks for the pictures, that helps me see the difference between the 2 on actual bikes instead of seeing the stems side by side. Somone on craigslist is selling the Ritchey stem for 30 dollars, the +/-6 and also selling the +/-17 for 20. figured that was a reasonable deal.
Buy 'em both. It looks like you could carry two or three extra stems around in that suitcase underneth the saddle. Maybe swap one out mid-ride to feel the difference.
Honestly though - since you are new to this - just ride the bike for a few months and save your money. If you really like the feel of road cycling, buy a better bike (with integrated shifting and carbon fork) and sell this Trek. Just my advice, because the bike is decent as is. Glad you are excited about getting on the road. Good luck whichever route you go...
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'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur
Last edited by dtrain; 02-15-12 at 01:35 PM.