Using a 150mm stem , What will the handling be like ?
 

Hi all ,

I have a very nice steel touring bike that has been a source of frustration for me in that I like everything about it except that the top tube is too short (58cm) and therefore the reach also . I picked up the bike when I was less in the know about the particulars of my own fit as I am now .

At the moment I have a 130 mm stem with 17 degrees of rise on it to get the bars as good as i can get them in terms of height and distance from the saddle . I have seen an expensive stem on ebay which is 150mm extension and 17 degrees of rise . I have worked out that this monster of a stem would put me where I need to be in terms of reach , but would it make the steering feel strange ? does that matter ? The stem has a lot of rise so in fact it would be more like a 140 than a 150 in terms of horizontal extension .

I know the obvious thing is to get a new bike but i really like this one and if I could sort the fit it would be a keeper .

Thanks for reading ,

J

As long as your center of gravity is centered more or less over the bottom bracket, I wouldn't worry about it. Use saddle setback to avoid putting too much weight out there in front of the front axle. You'll get used to the changes soon enough.

Some people claim the steering changes with stem length.

While that seems to make sense somewhat theoretically, I have switched out between 100mm stems and 50mm stems on my bikes (which most people consider extremely short), and I have never experienced any major difference in steering. People say a short stem makes the steering "twitchy" but I have not felt this.

Most pro riders ride small frames and long stems (130, 140mm, etc). I have heard this somehow makes it easier to get an aerodynamic position.

I would say go for the longer stem, if you think it will improve the reach for you.

Really? 150mm? Ridiculous. A 58cm top tube is hardly short, unless the o.p. is... ... hey, how come we don't know that? Why would someone ask about using an outlier stem of 150mm length, and freely volunteer that information but withhold a vital dimension from the discussion like their own height?? <confused>

I'll add a second mention of saddle setback. I would make sure your setback is at least what would be recommended from something like the competitive cyclist fit calculator.