Flexy Front: Flexchange the stem or bars?
 

Hey SSFG forum. How's it going? Everyone doing alright? Alright.

I recently picked up an All-City Big Block for commuting to complement my road bike and my tourer. Riding fixed has been a whole lot of fun; Tokyo is flat enough to not really need gears.

When I'm standing up, I notice a fair amount of flex coming from the stock bars and stem. I was wondering if I'll notice a bigger difference in stiffness by replacing the bars or by replacing the stem. Thoughts? Also, any recommendations for stiffer stems or riser bars?

Thanks!

Hello DanBell. Tokyo is a great city but I never rode there. I have ridden in Mishima City which offered more varied terrain. It was a blast!

What stem are you using now, quill or threadless (I believe it comes stock with threadless but don't know if you changed it)? A quill stem extended out a bit will flex more. Also, are you using bullhorns? Of course, these will flex some when climbing on the horns. I use a quill stem but also use a 57cm flatbar. It is nice and stiff.

Tokyo is great because in the city you have pretty level ground, but head about an hour out of the city and you're in real honest-to-goodness mountains.

I have the stock setup on it at the moment, generic threadless stem and wide riser bars. I'm happy with this arrangement for the type of riding I'm using this bike for, but it does have some give to it. Basically I'm looking for a stiffer threadless stem, stiffer risers, or both if necessary.

Stiffer bars most likely, they are easy to find. If you want to go super stiff find some DH bars and chop them down a bit.

I think a bike ride up Fuji-san would be a hoot if they allowed it. I forget the elevation that is driven by road, but that would be a nice ride :)

Agreed to shorten the width on the risers if you can.

How many spacers do you have under your stem?

My riser bars are 60cm end-to-end, and there is (are?) 3cms of spacers under the stem. I like the bike set up the way it is, for the riding I'm doing on it. I have my road bike when I want a more aggressive position and more speed. This bike is for sitting up high and cruising in style at a nice leisurely pace. So I like the width of the bars and the rise, and don't really want to drop the stem below the spacers (if that's what you were going to suggest). I was hoping to replicate the fit as it is now, but with stiffer components.

OT, but there are a few guys here who attempt to ride to Mt. Fuji, climb up it, climb back down it, and cycle back to Tokyo all within 24 hours. That kind of 'fun' is not for me.

Fixed with a Nitto B809AA, if anyone was wondering.

Kept it local, eh! :)

Yep! ¥5,000 ($40ish) ordered from Nitto through a shop.