didn't we all have long stem's back in the day ?

[FluffyChicken]

BITD I rode the correct length. Then when I got to now 110 is far to short. Feel like i'm over the front wheel. I like a bit more space and 135 does it.
I also noticed now that 0 rise is the fashion?? I don't remember seeing that many BITD? Or is my grey matter failing me?? :roll:

Zero rise has always been around (at least since the early 90's) they became especially popular to drop the height down once you had raised the front end with the suspension fork (talking up to 2" travel era here). Same reason inline seatpost became popular. It's to get the position back.

Saying that my 20.5" 91 RM Altitude came with a 135mm (could be 130mm) stem, zero rise (it was syncros after all) and had RS MAG's
'92 RM Fusion 18.5" which is not a race bike came with 130mm slight rise stem and had rigid.
In 1996 according to RMs catalouges they still had the similar lengths.
I believe Yo's cats tell you the stem length range you should be using as do Voodoo. It's what the frame is designed for.
(just for reference)


Modern bikes have a completely different design to retro bikes. Long forks alters everything and the stem would need to be correct for that style of frame design to make it work.


Somebody mentioned drop a size in the frame and run a longer stem early in this topic.
The only drop a size I remember was when sizing up for an MTB, you would take the 'roadie' size you would use and then drop a size to get your MTB size. Not run a size smaller than your MTB size.

 

[captain8track]

re:

New geometry sucks, just look at the serious xc riders who have smaller frames and longer stems and setback posts to get it stretched.

it looks like shit when people ride around with short ugly stems and risers it should be forbidden.

I acctually feel like my retro bike is longer then my xtc have 115mm on them both to be able to compare. Like to try my xtc with an 80mm fork to see if that spices up things otherwise it's goodbye giant for me.

Long stems calms the front end down, and make the bike a bit more stable. Gary fishers bikes with the genesis geometry wasn't that good I thought. look at the tour, voila long stems....

But they were a bit on the far side sometimes bitd, I ride my retro with 115mm now and it's like a road bike stretched but comfy in the dirt, it's a 19" and it still has it original tioga stem on it...

 

[Ransetsu]

topic

goodness ! i started this topic last week and didn't intend it to run and run like this !! i think what happened "back in the day" the 80's - most frames didn't have a sloping top tube probably untill Kona - so to get enough "ball room" or clearance over the frame you had to drop one frame size and fit a longer stem to avoid being cramped in the cockpit so to speak .... no ?

 

[velomaniac]

Lot of the early mtbs had short stems and what we now call risers and then they went all long and flat and now theyre back where they started.
Another evolutionary dead end back to where it should have stayed :?

Long stems hurt my neck and have caused too many painful crashes for me, I'll stay with short stem from now on.

 

[Neil G]

I do remember stems being very long...the stem on my muddy fox Courier comp (1990) must have been 180/200mm long!

Now I'm running 110

180/200???? did you measure that in dick inches

??????

Someone of your knowledge must have seen the stems the mfx bikes came with...easy 180mm

 

[DeletedUser006]

now lets see the realllly long stems

How's 160mm for you ! I cant get used to risers and I much prefer the long stem and stretched out riding posistion, I have flat bars on my modern bikes with 110 stems.

Oh...... And my shorts are never lower than my arse crack so I couldnt possibly manage risers and short stems :shock:

 

[Ransetsu]

stem

now that's what i call a stem !! non of these stunted wee things they run nowadays ! it's even 10mm longer than my purple Ringle !!!!

 

[john]

Lot of the early mtbs had short stems and what we now call risers and then they went all long and flat and now theyre back where they started.
Another evolutionary dead end back to where it should have stayed :?

Hardly. The mtb scene is pretty diversified now. Plenty of racers (and riders) still on long-ish flat stems with flat bars just like we all had early 90s. As for general riding is there such a thing? A quick flick through the mtb mag on my desk shows most of the bikes with 9,10,11,12cm stems and risers. The position of most is still a long way off the early days of mega stubby stems and 'bullmoose' risers.

Long stems hurt my neck and have caused too many painful crashes for me, I'll stay with short stem from now on.

If a part doesn't suit then why ride it? Same back in the day, same now. Short(er) stems with rise were always available.

 

[john]

now lets see the realllly long stems

How's 160mm for you ! I cant get used to risers and I much prefer the long stem and stretched out riding posistion, I have flat bars on my modern bikes with 110 stems.


Oh...... And my shorts are never lower than my arse crack so I couldnt possibly manage risers and short stems :shock:

160 is a mans stem.

 

[IbocProSX]

What's retro? I ride all versions of stems whatever works for the ride. I have a couple 135s still going strong and 120's on modern rigs too.

Look at this, picture 85 vintage thanks to http://mountainbikeroots.com/events.php

Mr Larry Sousa in a modern looking set-up, short and with rise

What the heck just one more: Joe Murray himself:

Enjoy!!