Stems - 130mm, any real difference?

wolfsbane2k

Hi.

I'm looking for a longer stem for my road bike (triban 540), as it only comes with 110mm stem, and I think could do with a 130mm, as that's what I had on my previous bike, that was a slightly larger frame.

Is there anything I should specifically be looking for? Going to input data in the competitivecyclist form this evening to know what parameters I need.

I'm not a weight weenie, so a ~50g weight decrease of kit doesn't really bother me

Thanks in advance.

W

kajjal

If you search for a stem calculator on the Internet you can see the difference different stems make without spending any money. Stems can be fitted normally or flipped upright which moves the bars up and back a bit.

drlodge

http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

markhewitt1978

The stem calculator above will sort you out. If your previous frame was bigger then the stem size is likely to be different on your new one.

Do you still have the old bike? If so; and if it fits you well, then get the tape measure out and measure nose of saddle to the middle of where the bars clamp into the end of the stem, you'll see if there's any difference between the two.

Note that there are two different sizes of road handlebars, 36.1mm and 26mm (I think), so you have to know which ones you have so you can get the right stem.

wolfsbane2k

markhewitt1978 wrote:

The stem calculator above will sort you out. If your previous frame was bigger then the stem size is likely to be different on your new one.

Do you still have the old bike? If so; and if it fits you well, then get the tape measure out and measure nose of saddle to the middle of where the bars clamp into the end of the stem, you'll see if there's any difference between the two.

Note that there are two different sizes of road handlebars, 36.1mm and 26mm (I think), so you have to know which ones you have so you can get the right stem.

Unfortunately I don't have the old bike any more, but it was a 63cm frame with a 130mm stem - the new on Is a 60cm frame with a 110mm stem, but I can probably work out the difference from the geometry info to hand.

wolfsbane2k

drlodge wrote:

http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

Cheers, another one to try, thanks.

It's more the "is there really justification in going from a £10 stem to a £40 stem" type thing:
Deda Elementi EL Alloy Stem, 130, £10
Deda Elementi Zero2 Road Stem 130 £19
Deda Elementi Zero100 Performance BoB Stem £35

The main difference appears to be material and weight - weight I'm not generally fussed about, but stiffness will be!

For a £600 bike, what's an "proportionate" amount of money to spend on a stem?

Ta

wolfsbane2k

<double post>

kajjal

You need to look at you current bikes bar position and then use the above stem calculator from drlodge to calculate where the new stem will move the bars to. No need to refer to your old bike or frame geometry, just the position the bars will move to. Best to calculate for normal stem position and also when stem is flipped upright.

If the position is what you are looking for then buy the stem. If not you may need a different sized bike.

thepeginator

If you're not that arsed about weight, the only real other factors are;

- stiffness: I'm guessing if weight isn't a worry you aren't going to notice any difference in stiffness either...
- looks
- price

So go for the cheapest one that you like the look of! Deda's cheap offerings are good for the money I've always found. Also, going from 110 to 130 is a big jump, if you buy a cheap Deda you can probably afford a 120 and a 130 and try both.

In practice, unless you're Marcel Kittel I doubt you'd know the difference between a £12 stem and a £50 stem.

wolfsbane2k

thepeginator wrote:

If you're not that arsed about weight, the only real other factors are;

- stiffness: I'm guessing if weight isn't a worry you aren't going to notice any difference in stiffness either...
- looks
- price

So go for the cheapest one that you like the look of! Deda's cheap offerings are good for the money I've always found. Also, going from 110 to 130 is a big jump, if you buy a cheap Deda you can probably afford a 120 and a 130 and try both.

In practice, unless you're Marcel Kittel I doubt you'd know the difference between a £12 stem and a £50 stem.

Cheers :-)
As I carry 130kg of my lanky arse around, plus luggage, a 50g difference means naff all as a percentage, but stiffness worries me because of the weight on my hands because of the above.
Therefore a small bit of difference for most riders means a bit more to me, although I might not recognise the difference.

wolfsbane2k

Kajjal wrote:

You need to look at you current bikes bar position and then use the above stem calculator from drlodge to calculate where the new stem will move the bars to. No need to refer to your old bike or frame geometry, just the position the bars will move to. Best to calculate for normal stem position and also when stem is flipped upright.

If the position is what you are looking for then buy the stem. If not you may need a different sized bike.

Yep, that's the plan.
The problem is I got a warranty replacement for a bike that had failed, but because of the faff they offered me an upgrade to a significantly better bike, unfortunately the frame doesn't come in the such a large size.

After another 10miles on the bike after moving the seat back to its limits, I'm not sure if a simple rotation of the bars might give a slightly better riding position.

markhewitt1978

Don't move the saddle back to help with reach. As you surmise a new stem is the best way to handle that. But there is a limit to how long you can go before you have to conceed the frame is the wrong size.

kajjal

I am guessing you are very tall, i am 6ft7 and Decathlon bikes will not fit me. Trek and Specialized do larger framed bikes, I have a diverge in a 61cm frame which fits me fine and also comes in 64cm frame size. Trek do similar sized bikes. The diverge and similar bikes are stronger built than standard road bikes, I weight about 100kg and have taken the diverge off road with no problems.

The problem being very tall is there is not much choice and the better value bikes from Halfords and Decathlon are too small.

wolfsbane2k

Yep, there is a limit to accepting the frame is too small, it's trying to work out what that is. Due to unforseen discussions tonight haven't measured and tried the stem fit stuff, will do so tomorrow

I found the decathlon 500se in a 63 a good fit, but the 540 in xl (60) just doesn't seem to work, more than I thought it wouldn't.

thepeginator

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

thepeginator wrote:

If you're not that arsed about weight, the only real other factors are;

- stiffness: I'm guessing if weight isn't a worry you aren't going to notice any difference in stiffness either...
- looks
- price

So go for the cheapest one that you like the look of! Deda's cheap offerings are good for the money I've always found. Also, going from 110 to 130 is a big jump, if you buy a cheap Deda you can probably afford a 120 and a 130 and try both.

In practice, unless you're Marcel Kittel I doubt you'd know the difference between a £12 stem and a £50 stem.

Cheers :-)
As I carry 130kg of my lanky ars* around, plus luggage, a 50g difference means naff all as a percentage, but stiffness worries me because of the weight on my hands because of the above.
Therefore a small bit of difference for most riders means a bit more to me, although I might not recognise the difference.

The Dedas are plenty stiff in my experience. I know some brutes who use them, I've never known anyone have a problem with them.

mrb123

I have a Deda Zero 100 stem on my summer bike and a Zero 2 on my winter bike. Absolutely no way I could tell any difference between them when I'm riding. The Zero 100 does look a bit nicer and I'm led to believe it's a fraction lighter. Just get what you can afford and don't worry about it too much.

markhewitt1978

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Yep, there is a limit to accepting the frame is too small, it's trying to work out what that is. Due to unforseen discussions tonight haven't measured and tried the stem fit stuff, will do so tomorrow

I found the decathlon 500se in a 63 a good fit, but the 540 in xl (60) just doesn't seem to work, more than I thought it wouldn't.

It's hard to say even what the real sizes are. Most manufacturers have geometry charts showing, stack, top tube, reach etc, but Decathlon just have a guide for inside leg etc, which isn't very helpful. At least if they had a reach comparison and it was say 20mm less you knew you needed a 20mm longer stem to compensate.

markhewitt1978

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Yep, there is a limit to accepting the frame is too small, it's trying to work out what that is. Due to unforseen discussions tonight haven't measured and tried the stem fit stuff, will do so tomorrow

I found the decathlon 500se in a 63 a good fit, but the 540 in xl (60) just doesn't seem to work, more than I thought it wouldn't.

It's hard to say even what the real sizes are. Most manufacturers have geometry charts showing, stack, top tube, reach etc, but Decathlon just have a guide for inside leg etc, which isn't very helpful. At least if they had a reach comparison and it was say 20mm less you knew you needed a 20mm longer stem to compensate.

I have a Deda Zero 100 stem on my summer bike and a Zero 2 on my winter bike. Absolutely no way I could tell any difference between them when I'm riding. The Zero 100 does look a bit nicer and I'm led to believe it's a fraction lighter. Just get what you can afford and don't worry about it too much.

[/quote]

I think the OPs point was that they are not bothered about the stem quality at all! They just want a good fit.

wolfsbane2k

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Yep, there is a limit to accepting the frame is too small, it's trying to work out what that is. Due to unforseen discussions tonight haven't measured and tried the stem fit stuff, will do so tomorrow

I found the decathlon 500se in a 63 a good fit, but the 540 in xl (60) just doesn't seem to work, more than I thought it wouldn't.

It's hard to say even what the real sizes are. Most manufacturers have geometry charts showing, stack, top tube, reach etc, but Decathlon just have a guide for inside leg etc, which isn't very helpful. At least if they had a reach comparison and it was say 20mm less you knew you needed a 20mm longer stem to compensate.

Btwin do offer the geometry of the 520/540 range here, but not the 500ses, which is really annoying.

markhewitt1978

That's the thing you need the numbers of both for comparison.

wolfsbane2k

Yeah, I've asked and have been promised the 500ses.