Stem reach for Noodle

[Justin Keller]

Rivbike has a stem comparison page that starts, "We get asked a lot (once a week or so) how much higher this stem can put the bars compared to that stem." Height? Great, but I'm looking for guidance on stem reach, specifically with the Nitto Noodle. The copy for the new Charlie H. Gallop frame says, "they’re good with drops and stubby (5cm to 6cm) stems, too. [...] Personally, most of us here who ride drops at all, now ride them with stubby stems." But I'm curious how much that is specific to the Gallop vs. standard guidance for stem reach with drop bars. Looking at Blue Lug builds with the Noodle, they list the stem type but usually don't specify the reach. (But most don't look very stubby to me.) And, for good measure, I also found a Lovely Bicycle post where she says, "For most male cyclists I know, a stem length of 110-130mm seems to be the desirable range, with anything shorter considered suboptimal, if not outright weird," and she bucks the trend by going with a 8cm stem reach, albeit not with a Noodle. 

What say you? I know 'preferred' reach will vary by bike and rider and will be impacted by head tube angle and stem height and and and... but... Is there a reach that generally works well for most bikes and most riders with the Noodle? Thank you

[John Bokman]

My stem length (Nitto technomic) is 8cm on Sam. I'd get a shorter stem if I didn't mind the hassle of unwrapping bar tape et al. Rivendells have such long top tubes, that a short stem is necessary for me to achieve comfort. Originally, the bike was spec'd with a 10cm, for instance, which didn't allow for any bending of the elbows when on the hoods.

John

Oregon

[Nick Payne]

On my bikes with normal top tube lengths (including a 1998 Riv custom and a Bleriot), I use stems around 100mm long with drop bars. On the Appaloosa I bought in 2020, I fitted a 50mm stem to get the same reach to the bars.

Nick Payne

[Jay]

Even when choosing a size for my Roadini I noticed the top tube length was long than my previous road bike, but didn't really think it through all the way.  Thankfully the bars I wanted to run were short reach, and I'm using a 70mm stem; if I had wanted the Noodle bars, I don't think it would have worked.  Reach and bar height is so important for comfort.

[Bill Lindsay]

What stem length you run depends on where you want the bars to end up.  If you've never ridden a bicycle with drop bars, or have never felt like you have had a drop bar bike fit you well, then maybe get a fitting.  If you have a bike that you think fits, and want to figure out what stem length you will need to get a Noodle bar into a similar spot on a new Rivendell, then it's mostly a matter of comparing numbers on a geometry chart or from measurements of your own.  You mention the Gallop, which is a bicycle designed NOT to run drop bars.  One can do it, but it'll need to be an unusually long-torso person plus a stubby stem.  

Generally speaking, there was a time when "everybody" ran a 10cm stem.  There have been times when undersized frames and long stems were kind of fashionable.  The Lovely Bicycle quote is very odd, particularly for implying that men will look at your stem length and judge you for it.  That's just gross.  

So, what problem are you actually trying to solve?  Are you shopping for a bike?  Do you have a bike?  Do you think you have a bike that fits?  I'm sure you can get good advice, based on the context.  As-stated your question reads like: "What is the best size for shoes to work with wool socks?"  It depends!

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 5:56:58 PM UTC-7 jkel...@gmail.com wrote:

[Garth]

This tool is as accurate as the inputs for comparing stem reaches and heights relative to each other.

 http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

[Dan]

FWIW I am running a horizontal 70mm stem with Noodles on my Roadini. Bars approx 2cm above saddle. 

I arrived at this by drawing up the roadini with this config in CAD and figuring out how to get the reach the same as my other drop bar bike with an angled 100mm stem and Cowchipper bars, which have significantly shorter reach. 

I ended up in CAD after using the stem comparison tool Garth shared but realising I had to take into account frame stack and reach and handlebar height and bar reach.