Originally Posted by vomitron
This is becoming my signature. Potentially the dumbest thing I've heard on this forum.
Jesus christ, do you have any idea what goes on in that magical land called a velodrome? Do you realize how many times in a given race people (far, far, far more powerful than you or I can ever hope to be, I might add - I'm talking they snap steel bars) sprint out of the saddle?
The above comment's stupidity aside, I wouldn't recommend attempting to change your stem height while riding, if that's what you're implying (considering you'll lose any and all ability to steer while doing so), but I've heard good things about the ritchey adjustable stem.
Really, I would maybe pay the extra $50 and get one of the look ergostems on ebay. The ability to change reach will make a difference when switching between drops/bullhorns (some people prefer slightly longer stems for bullhorns), but if you're strapped, the ritchey seems like a good bet.
Whenever I'd sprint in the drops, I always felt inefficient and unstable. I used varying length stems and bar widths (some too small, to big, and just right). Why is this? And yes I was talking out of my ass when I said the drops weren't 'designed' for sprinting.
Also, I would NEVER adjust a stem mid-ride that required an allen wrench - I'm not that stupid.