GT Psyclone 1994 16 inch - very slow build

With the rather svelte tube profiles and clean frame joins the ATAC looks over-powering with it's chunky welding and agricultural looking pinch bolts. The Syncros looks better out of the two.

It would look much better and cleaner to have a stem with a noodle as the GT cable hanger detracts from the clean aesthetic of the Chris King headset. You could fit the black Chris King headset to help hide the hanger, but I like the contrast of the silver cups vs. the blue & black on the frame & forks.

I guess those GT stems do look a little plain and underwhelming. The earlier ones where the joints were penetrated like the top tube/seat tube intersection always looked cool, but they were all quill stems.

Wonder if a steel stem such as a Salsa would work as the proportioning of the tubing would compliment the frame...
 
With the rather svelte tube profiles and clean frame joins the ATAC looks over-powering with it's chunky welding and agricultural looking pinch bolts. The Syncros looks better out of the two.

It would look much better and cleaner to have a stem with a noodle as the GT cable hanger detracts from the clean aesthetic of the Chris King headset. You could fit the black Chris King headset to help hide the hanger, but I like the contrast of the silver cups vs. the blue & black on the frame & forks.

I guess those GT stems do look a little plain and underwhelming. The earlier ones where the joints were penetrated like the top tube/seat tube intersection always looked cool, but they were all quill stems.

Wonder if a steel stem such as a Salsa would work as the proportioning of the tubing would compliment the frame...


I feel it needs a silver thinner alloy stem with noodle. What fits that criteria and and comes up we will see.

I may remove the hanger and try to find one that mounts to the fork if not.

The atac does look worse on pics. In real life it’s not as huge.

I may try a few others later today that I’ve got on other bikes
 
Here’s the flip flop in a negative rise position

Obviously I’d need to add a spacer or trim the steerer more

I feel this suits the frame far more than the atac.

In fact the atac suits my RTS more than the Syncros 🤦
 
The GT stem looks clean, but with the black cable hanger trapped between the silver stem and headset cups it jumps out visually.

The Black Syncros looks best out of these 3 as it reflects/echoes what the forks are doing - black forks vs. silver cup and black stem (and cable hanger) vs. silver cup. I know this would do in @PhillB 's OCD!!! 🤣

It's a tricky era finding something right as aheadstems were mostly lacking cable hangers/guides as the world moved to V brakes rendering noodles/guides/cable stops a thing of the past...

Liking the BMX top tube pad!

By the way this is only MY opinion and you must remember this is YOUR bike, but just trying to help, that at times can be more of a hinderance than a help!!! 🤪😵‍💫
 
Played around with a few options and the best stem style is the GT flip flop alloy.

So do I keep the stem silver , and have the cable hanger turned silver to match …..


Or have the stem painted black ?


Bars will be black whatever happens.

Silver stem will match the silver Seat post

Black stem will match the forks.


I usually always match the Seatpost and stem in colour if possible. However I’ve a few bikes with Ti Seatposts and a black stem and this looks good. So maybe the silver post , black cockpit and silver CK works all together ….
 
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