Stem length question - WTB shorter replacement - how short???

[Jay]

I have a Sam Hillborne with a 10 cm stem Technomic and Noodle bars 5
cm above saddle height.

This feels too short. I can reach all the various positions with my
arms almost totally straight, but not locked.

Also, I would like to try lowering the bars a few cms. Dusting off my
high school trig - lowering the stem 3.25 cm puts the bars 1 cm
farther away. change in stem height. With my current stem this is too
far.

So -
1. Do I want 8 cm or 9?
2. Does anyone have one they want to get rid off?
3. Does anyone want to buy the 10 cm, with 500 miles and a few
scratches on it?

Jay

[PATRICK MOORE]

Here is a very useful tool: http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

Of course you can simply try lowering the stem and see how it feels;
"too far" is something that only you can decide.

I wonder at your statement saying that your arms are almost locked in
certain positions. IME, a comfortable setup has your elbows in a
relaxed bend in all except perhaps the hooks position and even there
you want some bend.

On a serendipitous note: the new Ken Rogers (OK! Enough about the
trike, already!) has a longer tt than my other bikes (58 versus 56.5
or 57) and I was afraid that even replacing the 10 cm stem I'd need a
7 or so, but I found that the st angle is quite a bit slacker than 73*
so that I could use a Nitto 8 lying around, also about 3 cm below
saddle, and the cockpit fit like my other good fitting road bikes.

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Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
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[Peter Morgano]

Have you ever looked at the periscopa?  It's higher and at 80mm shorter too.  I have one and love it.

[Jay]

Patrick,

It is definitely too far at 2 cm above sadle height. I tried it and
put it right back to 5 cm above.

Looking back at my OP, I should have explained better.
I am trying to decide between a 9 cm stem at the current height and an
8 cm stem at 2 cm above.

How can I know (or guess well) which I'd like better without buying 2
more stems?

Jay

> > For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.

[El Sapo]

I have the same issues with a too long 12cm "tallux" stem. I've raised
it as high as I can and it's still feels wrong. I'm going to just
switch it out for a 9cm and go thru the different heights. I really
don't thing you can solve this "feel" w/mathmatics. I've tried scale
drawings... Good luck.

[PATRICK MOORE]

Jay: this is what you need: http://www.octagoncycles.com/

Goes well with argyle, I believe.

Seriously, have you found a solution to your question? FWIW, raising
my stem 2 cm made 1.5 cm longer reach bars feel much the same in the
hooks and on the hoods as the shorter bars positioned lower. (Grand
Bois Maes Parallel copies with 115 mm reach versus Nitto 185s with 90
mm reach; same 8 cm stem raised 2 cm.)

[Joe Bernard]

How can I know (or guess well) which I'd like better without buying 2

more stems?

 

Unfortunately, the answer is: You can't. The trick is either take a guess on one; or buy both, then sell one. The first option means you may not have to sell if it works. The second..you get to try both, then decide.

 

Joe Bernard

Fairfield, CA.

[Kelly Sleeper]

Then again if you buy those thi gs and store the extras instead of selling them ... You have Em when you need them.

I've had good luck buying quill stems from LBS's out of junk boxes for 7 to 10 bucks a pop. Find the size you like then go for the lugged version.. :)

Kelly

[Steve]

I have a 9 cm (measured end-to-end) stem made by Nitto, Not sure what
model it is, but it's shorter than the technomic dynamic with only 140
mm length and 85 mm above the minimum in insertion line. Further,
it's for 25.4 mm clamp diameter bars and has a hole drilled and tapped
for the installation of a bell. Willing to sell for cheap if you're
(or anyone else) is interested.

[Jay]

After playing around a little more with height and rotation, I found a
lightly used 9cm on Amazon of all places.
I'll let you know how it goes.

FWIW rotating the bars a little bit makes a huge difference in which
position is more comfortable. Flat ramps = most comfortable on the
ramps. Rotating the bars down just a little bits puts me in the drops
most of the time.

Jay