Build your own

Anytime bars or grips are being dicussed a ton of people say they're riding only the tops or mostly the tops.That combined with all the pics of bikes with huge seatposts and neg stems leads me to believe that quite a few choose form over function.

Gyeswho

WORD! +1 I tried it once and never went back. It so uncomfy it's stupid

bbattle

Positive rise threadless stem


No rise quill stem, the way things are meant to be (Cinelli)

bonechilling

Just for the record, positive rise stems are pretty much the standard on all track bikes these days, especially for anyone specializing in a sprint race. 'Though I guess we're talking about bikes with riser bars now, so maybe this information is irrelevant.

mander

That looks really stupid to me. the tarck aesthetic is an easily gotten over piece of nonsense. Free your mind bfssfg

operator

Racing or not, it looks lame.

mander

look at this ugly piece of ****

cheeva

im still a fan of the neg rise quill

andre nickatina

one man's trash is another man's treasure!!! give me all your 30 degree threadless stems now!

and the reason teh lemond doesn't look bad is the angle. a less flattering angle would make it look ugly as ****

manboy

Do what works for you.

By the way, am I the only one who thinks that a negative rise stem + riser bars makes you look like a goofball?

cheeva

ur not the only one
i am w/ u 100% on that opinion

BRANDUNE

I think positive rise stems only look alright if they are 90mm or shorter

bionnaki

I have a threadless stem (stock surly steamroller Kalloy) that's negative with risers...only because it fits just right and is a little better over when I flip the stem over to the positive rise side. Kinda looks goofy, but it's just right for comfortable riding.

crushkilldstroy

What in the hell is going on in here? I wish I could spread the ebola virus through the internet.

JellyMeetsJam

looks good to me

doomkin

tl;dr

positive rise stems generally equal more comfort.
negative rise stems generally equal a more aggressive riding position.

you see positive rise stems on cross bikes, touring bikes, anything ridden for longer than 5 miles.
you see negative rise stems on track bikes, tt bikes, crit bikes, anything ridden for speed or aerodynamics.

this is all general descriptions. there are plenty of freakish gorilla people who don't mind supporting 80% of their body weight on their palms on unwrapped crmo bars for hours/days at a time.

personally, i hate it when my neck gets out of whack, so i really really really don't like negative rise stems that put my hands too far below my ass. the higher up the hands, the more upright the ride and the less strain on your neck and weight on your palms.

ryansexton

my stem is slightly posi, wouldn't change it though. The stem on that San Jose is so posi it is listening to Bane. Not to mention it is equally as ugly as the singer.

inthemixte

I've only ridden flat rise (or level w/ top tube, whatever that's called) stems, so I don't understand how changing angles differs from changing height. Let's say there's a positive rise stem sitting low in the steer tube and a flat rise stem sitting higher, so that the position of the bars is identical. Will the two feel or handle differently because of the angle? Seems like they might, but I can't picture it.

I_luv_hooters

I was hoping you would bless this thread with your infinite wisdom and helpful insight.

crushkilldstroy

What type of assistance do you require?

The original question in this thread was fine, and the answer was in the second post. Unfortunately it turned into an ridiculous fashion fest after that.

Ride a positive rise stem if you want to be more comfortable for longer distances. Ride a negative rise stem if you want to be more aerodynamic and ride shorter distances. Sooner or later, you'll realize that the general public doesn't give a **** what your bike looks like.

Zombie Carl

Stem rise is irrelevant unless discussed in the context of the size of the bike and rider.

crushkilldstroy

Of course there will be some oddballs with weird bodies/bikes, but what I said holds true a vast majority of the time.

Ken Cox

The fit and body position that works on the track may or may not work on the street.

Those who race on the track and fully understand the fitting dynamics of the track choose a low drop position for aerodynamics; and, they choose a more forward riding position, in relation to the crank or bottom bracket, in order to facilitate the activation of the rectus femoris muscle in the thigh, so that it can flex the hip and pull the thigh upwards and forward.
A more forward position, while riding in the drops, stretches out the hip a little and activates the rectus femoris in flexion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectus_femoris_muscle

Of all the muscles in the quadriceps group, only the rectus femoris can both flex the hip and extend the knee; however, the rectus femoris will only do so in certain body positions.

Setting aerodynamics aside, on the street, one should consider a riding position that works on the street and which may or may not work on the track.

On the street, someone who rides with very high gearing, say 82 gear inches or above, and on relatively level terrain, might benefit from a low aerodynamic position; however, those riding with lower gearing and on hilly terrain would probably benefit from a slightly more upright and further back position.

I ride with a small frame because I have short legs for my height and the small frame gives me the standover height I need.

Given the above, I find that when I fit for proper function on the street, a straight horizontal line drawn forward from the top of my saddle passes through my hand position on bullhorn handlebars.
This puts me in a little more erect position, comparable to most roadies riding on the hoods.

I also find my self further back, with my forward knee correctly placed over the pedal and the saddle further back than on a bike fitted for the track.
This lightens up the front wheel and makes the bike much more maneuverable and agile at slow speeds.

For me, given my one size too small frame set, this means a 90mm stem with six degrees of rise and bullhorns.

This works for me with my body on my streets in my community.

Given my present riding situation, I choose my gear ratio and body position not for speed, but for acceleration and braking, quickness and agility; and I don't see speeds much above 15mph very often and so have less consideration for aerodynamics.

How I look to other people matters not a bit to me.

Some years ago I had a regular commute of 15 miles on level terrain and I rode at 82 gear inches and with a lower, more aerodynamic body position.
I averaged 19.7mph, including several stoplights.

Now I have a shorter 7.5 mile commute with significant hills, more stoplights, and much more traffic.
I ride with a more upright postion and lower gearing, and I average 15mph.

Again, how I look to other people matters not a bit.

In the winter, on ice and snow, I ride with an even shorter stem with more rise.
This puts me even more upright and further back, and makes my front wheel very light so that if I hit something because the snow hides it, or if I hit something because the rain and headlight glare hides it, my front wheel stays under control.
Also, if I take a fall, which I have, it seems to go better from the more upright, further-aft postion than when I have more body weight on the handlebars.

So, in my humble opinion, one ought not let track considerations influence the design and fit of a street fixed gear bike, unless one just wants that track look on the street.

To some people, looks matter more than function.
Different strokes for different folks.

mander

Generally, it's better to get to a given height with a riser stem than with a straight stem on top of a stack of spacers. You are taking a geometric 'shortcut' straight from the steerer tube to the bar clamp, meaning weight is decreased and strength and stiffness increased; and in theory, you decrease flex at the steerer tube by eliminating spacers.

inthemixte

yeah that makes sense that it would be stiffer. I still prefer the look of flat stems, only now I know why that makes me feel shallow. thanks, mander.