How long should my bike stem be?

As a rule of thumb, on a road bike you shouldn’t run a stem much shorter than 90mm or much longer than 130mm. If you need a stem length beyond those extremes, your bike frame is the wrong size.

Is a shorter bike stem better?

Using a shorter stem gives the bike quicker handling characteristics and a more responsive feel. A longer stem shifts your body weight towards the front of the bike and puts you in a better pedaling position, especially on those steep climbs.

What length stems do pros use?

Mark Cavendish uses an Enve carbon fibre stem in 120mm length. Enve only makes carbon fibre handlebars, but evidently Cav prefers aluminium so uses a PRO alloy handlebar with the logos taped over. Sep Vanmarke is another FSA OS 99 user, but it’s a bit longer at 130m and in plain black and white standard colours.

Do pro cyclists use smaller frames?

In more modern times, pros often use a smaller frame that a similarly sized recreational rider because they want to ride a big drop to the handlebars. As head tubes continue to grow for a given frame size, pros are forced onto smaller frames to maintain their positions.

Can a MTB stem be too short?

If you have a bike with a short top tube then putting a short stem on it will probably not result in good handling. It will be like riding a bike that’s too small for you. You will find it hard to ‘work’ the terrain and you’ll be generally unbalanced from being so upright.

How do you determine the best stem length?

One good rule of thumb for choosing the correct length stem (and it works for the road.cc team) is to sit on the bike with your hands on the top of the hoods and look down at the front hub. If the stem length is correct, the handlebars should completely hide the front hub.

Why are pro cyclists seats so high?

These seats are so high up, you might be wondering riders even get on in the first place. Well, there’s actually a very good reason why some of these seats look so high, and the answer is efficiency and injury prevention. When you are pedaling, your leg should be almost fully extended at the bottom of the stoke.

How big is the stem on a bike?

It wasn’t until the late 19th century when Marshall Taylor invented an adjustable stem, using a sliding clamp to move the handlebars towards or away from the rider. Now bike stem length can vary from 50mm all the way up to 150mm and beyond. Every part of a bike is connected.

What’s the best stem length for you on GCN?

Testing three different stem lengths, 80mm, 110mm, 140mm, Dan and Si perform two different skill challenges, a ‘suburban challenge’ and a descending challenge. Will there be any difference in times between the stem lengths? Watch more on GCN…

What happens if the stem of a bike is too short?

If you have persistent numbing in your wrists or hands, it could be that the stem is too short. In contrast, if you are too stretched out, it can cause injury to your back. Stem length needs to be looked at in relation to the bike size and geometry, and there is no definite answer of what would be best for you.

What’s the length of a handlebar stem on a bike?

Taylor’s “outrigger” eventually gave way to sturdier one-piece designs and ever since then riders have adjusted their handlebar reach by fitting stems of different lengths. Nowadays, there is a choice of stems as short as 50mm and as long 150mm with a variety of angles for fine-tuning the position of the handlebars.