Is 80mm stem too long?

The sweet spot is generally accepted as being 100mm to 120mm, but not everyone agrees. ‘It’s a bit of a cliché that a too-short stem will over-quicken the handling. ‘Needing a 70mm-80mm stem probably means bike sizing needs to be reviewed, but many riders are happy to ride a 70 or 80 or 90mm stem without difficulty.

How long should my bike stem be?

Ideally, the stem should be long enough to place some of the rider’s weight over the front wheel to stabilise the steering and improve grip on the road. At the same time, the stem should provide a steering arc that complements the head angle and trail of the bike.

What is the best stem length?

For those aggressive trail bikes out there, we recommend using a stem in the 50-60mm length range. Of course, this may not work for everyone. In some cases, sizing up a frame size and using a 35mm length stem may give you a more comfortable fit.

Is 80mm stem too small?

For someone your size, 80mm is too short. The fact that you can see the hub means the weight balance is shiftied backwards. No big issue you might think – and so did I until i rode a race with an 80mm stem on my medium TCR.

Does stem length affect reach?

Yes. Add in your stem length when calculating your functional Reach and to compare it to your current ride. Don’t size down however, run a shorter stem to get to your desired Reach as the bikes work much better that way.

What is my stem size?

Stem length Length or reach is the horizontal measurement of your bike stem. It is measured from the center of your steer tube to the center of your handlebar clamp along the central axis of your stem.

Do all stems fit all bikes?

Stems are available to fit a range of steerer tube sizes with 1 1/8” being by far the most common on both MTB and road bikes. However some models are also available for older bikes with 1” steerers (although a shim can also be used to make these fit standard stems) or for gravity bikes with 1.5” steerer tubes.

Is 80mm stem good?

If you have a bike with a short top tube then putting a short stem on it will probably not result in good handling. On most modern mountain bikes you should be aiming for a stem length somewhere between 50mm and 80mm. Long stems are more stable when climbing using narrow handlebars. That’s it.