Road Bike Stem Lengths
Shorter stems result in noticeably quicker and more responsive handling that is a definite advantage on technical singletrack and gravity riding.
Road bike stem lengths. So do different stem lengths change the handling of road bike. Stem length will vary with the design of the bike. Testing three different stem lengths 80mm 110mm 140mm. Stem length does not affect handling of a bike.
Nowhere in the study of bicycle dynamics or frame design is the stem length discussed. As a rule of thumb on a road bike you shouldn t run a stem much shorter than 90mm or much longer than 130mm. The longer the stem the more weight will be pushing forward on the bars making the bike more stable at high speeds. The steering of a bike is dictated by the head angle and trail but the length of the stem can enhance or dull.
Whereas road riders tend to choose stem length based solely on overall bike fit and positioning for off road riders the length of the stem is critical in determining how the bike handles. But that s only half the story. Dan and si do some gcn science to find out. The rise angle of stem from fork to bar has quite a large effect.
Stem length affects the level of comfort for the rider. This may explain why dan and i disagree on ideal stem length for road. There are shorter and longer stems available if you re short or very tall and ride a frame size at the extreme end of the size range. This can however make for a less responsive feel.
We visited oli beckingsale of bw cycling in bristol to find out more about steam length and reach. Generally speaking stem lengths on road bikes vary from 80 to 140mm with 100 to 110mm perhaps the most common sizes. It must also address the rider s comfort biomechanics performance needs and the steering and handling of the bike. Stock stems for road bikes come in lengths from 60mm to 140mm so there s huge scope for making changes to a bike s reach.