stem length??
10-30-18, 08:35 PM
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stem length??
Why in the world are older MTB stems so LONG?? The top tubes on most older MTBs are already long...why the need for 140mm stems? Tall people i suppose but what is average or short guy supposed to do?
10-31-18, 06:27 AM
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Too much influence from the world of road bikes. Older MTB geometry is terrible. FWIW, I find most top tubes on older mountain bikes to be too short for any given frame size.
10-31-18, 01:25 PM
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But there are other factors as well.
Bar witdth. For handeling reasons, narrow bars often favor longer stems. The reverse is also true, and has played out over the past 20 years.... as bars got wider, stems got shorter.... and top tubes got longer in part to allow for shorter stems.
but what is average or short guy supposed to do?
Last edited by Kapusta; 10-31-18 at 01:28 PM.
11-01-18, 09:24 PM
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I thought it was mostly because mountain biking then was mostly about riding on cross country trails. Even today, XC bikes have a longish stem to get you over the front axle.
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