"Road" vs. "Mountain" quill stems: why?

[cbone97]

Help me out with this one.  Assuming the average unracer wants their bars up nice and high, what purpose does a "road" stem (like a Tallux) serve, and/or why would it be preferred, ever, over a mountain-type stem (Dirt Drop, Periscopa, etc.) of equal stem length?  For the life of me I can't figure this out.  The only purpose I see to a drop/road stem is that it allows putting the bars below the top of the headtube should this be desirable.  I'm building up my Sam H. and put on my Tallux, which looked fine with Alba's on my previous bike, but with my Nitto Rando bars I think it looks somewhat awkward/goofy.  So I'm ordering a Dirt Drop.  What am I missing?

Tallux f.s. coming soon...

[Michael]

1. Traditional stem shape for road bikes is like the "7" of the Tallux and Technomics.

2. I think the Tallux/Technomic stems come in more stem extension length options (5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 cm) than dirt drop stems, which are only two, I think (8 and 10cm?). 

3.Looks. I like the traditional looks of the "7" shape stem much better than Dirt Drops sorta goose neck look.

 

 

[Perry]

Looks and more extension options. I believe the "mountain" type stem (like the dirt drop) is an inherently stronger design. Maybe I'm wrong.

• Perry

[Philip Williamson]

I like a straight line from the headset to the bars, rather than the road stem "detour," both aesthetically and functionally.

Philip
www.biketinker.com

[Richard L]

[EGNolan]

 For alba's & Bosco's I have needed the length of 7 shaped stem, for drops, the LD look gets the nod as it brings the bars in much closer w/o having a super short 7 shape. The decision for me has been based on reach, primarily & then aesthetics...

[Bill Lindsay]

there doesn't seem to be much to figure out.  some people buy the one they like and that is awesome.  some buy the one they think looks better and that is great, too.  some just use the one they have and are happy with it (provided it puts the bars where they need it) and that is great, too.  some people use the one they have and then don't like the look and buy something that looks better to them.  That, also is very very good.  

[Clayton]

As a retired Firefighter Paramedic, road stems give me pause. The sharp elbow could feasibly tear a femoral artery, mesenteric artery (blood vessels that supply your GI tract), bladder, spleen, or rupture your liver in a head on crash. The obvious, ripping your "package" is not a pleasant option either. I use a Dirt Drop stem. A family member, a child, died from crashing her bmx bike. The end of the handlebar ruptured her spleen and she didn't know it. She went home and told her mom she had a belly ache. Mom put her in bed with her, and when she woke up the girl was dead and cold. Use a Mountain stem....

[Garth]

Traditions die hard !   I agree with you though. To me the Tallux stem is an answer for a tall stem, but there are better answers also !   If you need a tall stem , indeed, why make it in a -17 degree angle ?  Kinda of a headscratcher to me .  You're rising it with a tall quill, then negating it with a -17 degree angle. Bikes with these look odd to me. I'm not sure why a Dirt Drop was never offered in anything more than 100mm length. I'd surely buy one if they made them in 120 or 130mm.  It can't be an issue of strength, it must be again, tradition, aesthetics and "other".

That's why I use tall quill adapters and threadless stems. I resisted this for a long time, but now I love them !  Real flexibility of choices. A 0 or 10+ degree  stem flows so much better, especially with a sloping TT. Nitto makes one really tall adapter, and one sorta medium tall.

[clayton bailey]

Ya, mee 2

Clay

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/rlPwOaUfP-g/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.