Slammed stems
 

Am I the only one that doesn't like the esthetics of bicycles with a completely slammed stem? I think about 25mm of spacers over the top of the head tube looks better than the stem mounted flush with the head tube. Maybe I'm just old, but a small stack of spacers looks more natural, and more like a classic road bike with a traditional headset, yet still more aggressive than old quill stems.

Maybe I'm just old.

I guess that is my excuse too. I'm with you.

Timtak respectully disagrees with you

Spoken like a true "old man" ;)

It's OK to be old, hopefully we will all be one day.

For my son I bought a bigger frame so the stem could be lower.
For me - I am old, but like a very low bar, and always have. I like a more forward leaning motor bike too. I may ride it like a Harley, but the more upright position is less comfortable. Maybe my bigger arms and chest can better handle the weight of my gut.

I'm not making excuses for a huge stack of spacers used to get the bars up high for an upright position, but talking about bikes with about an inch of spacers over the head tube and a negative rise stem.

If you need to use tiny compact handlebars so that you can reach the drops with a -17 degree slammed stem, your bike looks silly.

Get off my lawn you punks.

I have almost 7" of drop from my saddle to tops, so I'm not talking about an upright position, but I wonder how long the arms of some cyclists are.

When I'm in the drops, and have a slight bend at the elbow, my back is flat. Bars being lower than that doesn't help anything.

Are for youngins.

This is a frame sizing issue as well. There is a 5'10 kid in San Diego that has about a 2" larger wing span than I do at 6'2" and I wear long. So it does vary.
My son goes about one size bigger so he gets the longer TT and then "slams" the stem. But he is using 12degree and 8degree vs a 17degree or more stem.

your son isn't typical of the situation I'm talking about, and it's different when it's done for a fit issue like his.

With modern frames with sloping TTs I think it applies. There is always plenty of seat post and unless someone is short body, short arms I think a bigger frame is a good alternative to extra spacers. Yes they are heavier.

Some bikes have a long head tube and the stem might have to be slammed to get the bar low enough.

Slammed or not, the important thing is that the bike fits. Appearances are distantly secondary.

This.

I absolutely agree with you about the long HT, and fit being most important.

The bikes I'm talking about are the ones with a huge saddle to bar drop, and tiny compact bars. If you need compact bars, you probably don't need to slam the stem.

I'm pretty sure I said that I was criticizing the esthetics, not the functionality.

I don't care for them either. :o

Thank you. I'm only talking about the esthetics.

Do whatever is needed for a good fit, but needlessly slamming a stem, and being forced to use extremely shallow reach bars looks silly.

I would see this particularly on track bikes ridden on the street: frame too small; negative rise stem, with BMX riser bars (!).

I like a high handlebar which comports with setting a high bar as the Voice of the Industry for others to follow.

Many bikes in the Hot or Not thread are borderline Jackass.

You couldn't be more correct. In fact jackass is by definition literally and figuratively correct.
Heehaw

OK : )) I have to use a -25 degree stem on my gravel bike because the fork is so long for tire clearance AND the head tube is long.

If you can you, you can...if you can't...well you don't. What's the big deal?

You are just old. Slammed always looks best, even if it doesn't fit you the best.

Quill stems look best...;)

Yep. Even carbon "race" bikes generally have head tube that's 2-3 cm taller than equivalent size classic geo steel bikes