Handlebar stem height

bladeone

Hi all what would be the main advantages of dropping my handlebars by swapping the spacers over to top of stem, and if I like the setup may cut the steerer tube down a bit to make it look a bit nicer.

cooldad

The bars would be lower. Try it and see.

cooldad

There is no benefit as such - just where the bars are right for you.

rockmonkeysc

Depends on bike and set up as well as your riding style and physical proportions.
I have only one 5mm spacer under my stem to keep my weight low and improve steering and grip. It also helps keep the front under control on climbs.
It's not just about getting it low, you need to find the right height. Looks are not a good measure for bike set up if you want it to ride at it's best.

bladeone

Cheers, when I read the mags they are always going on about dropping the bars. So it does increase front grip or quicken the steering,

rockmonkeysc

There's only an advantage if they are too high to start with. It's a fine balance, too low is as bad as too high.
Dropping bars won't ever quicken steering.

declan1

On a road bike they give you better aerodynamics and quite often a more comfortable position (in my experience) but on a mountain bike aerodynamics are not a significant factor due to the low speeds involved. Just fiddle around with bar height until you find one that's comfortable but don't assume higher is more comfortable.

bladeone

Sorry rockmonkey started to reply just before you so didn't see your bit about grip, I'm gonna try one spacer for a bit that would be about 10mm compared to 30mm as it came from shop. yer agree on not how it looks but must perform better., bike is a remedy Thanks all and bit of testing to try.

rockmonkeysc

Experiment with small changes. Rolling the bars forward or back is also worth experimenting with.
Surprisingly even brake lever position can make a difference to riding position when out of the saddle with the brakes covered.

paul.skibum

If you have the bars too high you end up back on the bike and will struggle for front grip, too low and you will be too forward and have difficulty on steeps getting back. Too far forward is likely to feel uncomfortable to ride as well as difficult in certain conditions, too high might feel better but a wandering front end on climbs and lack of forward grip into corners will hamper pace and performance.

I dropped my stem onto the headset on my hardtail after ages with 2-3cm of spacers under there and transformed my bikes grip and cornering.

justwan naride

After riding a mates bike I realized my bars were too high. Moved my hand poition 3cm lower and 2cm forward (via new stem & bar) and haven't washed out on a turn ever since. Turns out my front wheel was way under weighted before, so i experienced a lot of traction issues on the front which I attempted to fix with tyre selection,pressure etc.

bladeone

cheers guys just gotta get out now and test