WTF is people's obsession w/ 135mm 0* rise stems???

[mkozaczek]

Good discussion.

My main gripe stems from the fact that nearly every person that asks me for a Klein only wants a 135-0, meanwhile given their height etc, I know it's not the right setup. Also I've seen several critiques of owners' bikes saying they need a 135-0 not knowing the rider's physique, anyways... just silly

 

[mattr]

No podgy middle managers dropping 5k on a carbon race machine and fitting it with a 60mm stem with 40 degrees of rise. They were all on the golf course.

Jealous much? Just because you can't afford to drop £5k on a bike...

:facepalm: yes, absolutely. You are utterly correct. :roll:

 

[gradeAfailure]

No podgy middle managers dropping 5k on a carbon race machine and fitting it with a 60mm stem with 40 degrees of rise. They were all on the golf course.

Jealous much? Just because you can't afford to drop £5k on a bike...

:facepalm: yes, absolutely. You are utterly correct. :roll:

Well, what's with the thinly-veiled dig then? No different to someone spending several thousand on a "garage queen" Klein or Fat, is it?

But that's another subject, and I fear we're getting off the point here...

If I were building a retro bike as a catalogue build, wall art, whatever - then it would have to look right, and a long flat stem is part of that.
If it's a rider, then whatever it takes to make it ride how I want.

 

[Tad]

Mine is about 140mm x 40 degree. So uncool its beyond cool

Nathan Barley, that you?

Geek Pie?

 

[Tazio]

I run 40 degree rise aheadset stems upside down.

Because I can.

 

[Tad]

Good discussion.

My main gripe stems from the fact that nearly every person that asks me for a Klein only wants a 135-0, meanwhile given their height etc, I know it's not the right setup.

And there's you're explanation, all show for their chequebook retro.

If that's what keeps them happy riding to Starbucks for another skinny late or the odd bimble down a stone free fire trail (we wouldn't want them to chip their flashy new paint would we?) before they stop to take in the great outdoors with some added granola who are we to grumble?

If they want flat 135s on their builds then sell them flat 135s on their builds, it keeps you in beer tokens. Google Gerald Ratner and his famous quote, you don't want to put off your c*ntstomer base.

 

[-Anomie-]

On my bikes it depends on whether I intend to ride it or not. My Bontrager originally had a 150 x 0 degree stem, but back then I was in a lot better shape and had no problems with that set up (not to mention I could climb a wall with that much weight on the front end). When I refurb'ed it I installed a 130 x 15 degree stem to match my older and less flexible back because it isn't a garage queen, I still ride it. If I were just going to hang it on a wall I wouldn't care as much, in the same way that no one cares about the slick tires on all those Klein garage queens.

 

[konatime]

I'm firmly in the other camp, love the look of some of them early American steeds with a 25 deg angle stem, had an 18 deg variant made with a long neck to pull up on a long jaunt home....since i've had it i've never felt i could'nt do more (40 miles of hills is about me shortest outing) and getting up climbs that folk chat about practising for makes me wonder what thier on about, besides which..i'd be gutted if me bars caved me top-bar in :cry: .

 

[StanleyButterfly]

Way to diss on your clients on their own forum.

FWIW, that's what I use. Can't do much about short tts and that's what is most comfortable. All the whining in the world isn't going to keep me from using what I need to do to ride the way I do. When I get older maybe I'll need to be more upright but for now, I hunt them as a matter of religion.

 

[Plodder]

I feel like a dinosaur, at 56 I like the long low stems I rode in the nineties. Now I love long gravelroad rides and my setup looks like this, I just do not get the advantages of short stems: