New cockpit

brandfreak

Hi all

I run a 680mm EA70 low rise monkey bar on a 70mm 0deg Thomson elite stem. I would like to try a "slightly" wider bar as I do hold the bars at the very edge.

I have pretty much decided on a low rise Easton haven carbon bar (711mm). I was just going to buy a 50mm Thomson stem (still top choice) but then saw the Easton haven 55mm stem. Not sure if a mere mortal like me will notice the difference 5mm makes.

The reason I initially chose a 50mm stem is I run my seat pushed right forward on the rails and was (more than) thinking of buying the Thomson dropper post when it comes out. It has a 5mm layback and I was concerned that might compromise my seating position.

Any thoughts ?

The Rookie

What budget, what sort of riding? Do you want (need) the heavy duty Haven or a lighter XC/Trail bar?

You won't really notice 5mm on stem length. Thomson are nice but tend to be heavy I prefer Easton stems anyway.

If you go from 680 to 720(ish) bars the 15/20mm shorter stem will shorten the effective cockpit length. Sounds lik your frame is too big?

.blitz

711 bars and a 50 mm stem is a fairly safe bet although 680 to 711 is only 31mm i.e. just over 0.5" either side.

Whether you'll notice 5 mm on the stem or 0.5" on the bars depends on how adaptable you are and how much room you have to move about on your bike. If you're the sort of person that can jump on any bike within reason and ride off then it's neither here nor there. If on the other hand you prefer everything to be set up optimally then yes you will notice the difference; it could make things better or worse - only you will know.

If you're unsure about the sizing it can be useful to buy an inexpensive bar & stem (e.g. Superstar). You can position lock-on grips anywhere on the bars until they feel right for you and then cut the bars down or buy some carbon bars in the appropriate width. And if your £25 stem doesn't feel right it's no great loss keep it for when you get a different bike and go through the same procedure.