Slammed stem rant

[kramnnim]

Maybe they used a stem that “needs” the steerer to be cut flush with the top so the top cap sits properly against the stem, like the Enve aero or PRO Vibe

[tomato coupe]

I have a (retired) Colnago frame hanging in my garage. It still has the original -17° stem without any spacers underneath. Does that make me vain?

[mdeth1313]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

I have a (retired) Colnago frame hanging in my garage. It still has the original -17° stem without any spacers underneath. Does that make me vain?

No, but you could be vein:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YRU0B0iisc

[carpediemracing]

Tossing gasoline into the embers.


Black bike with my least favorite wheels, set up for a training ride, 2017? It now has a first gen ISM saddle on it. I have a red bike with the same geometry / set up.

I'm not young, I'm not flexible at all, I'm not skinny anymore, I've had a bad back for decades. I don't train that much now but I did a lot before.

I also have weird proportions so my bike doesn't really reflect an aggressive posture - in fact I'd consider it pretty conservative. My back isn't that flat although I'm small on the bike (normally I'm not on the hoods but this is actually a short hill and I was redlined enough I didn't want to move my hands).

I don't cut the steerer all the way down because some stems have a higher stack height than others, and I don't want to be limited to stem options.

I definitely don't consider "the next owner" when doing stuff to my bike. I'm going to keep my bikes until they're done, and the custom geometry means a very limited used bike market.

Someone in car world said something about "not driving your car to save it is like not having sex with your gf to save her for the next guy". I thought that was pretty funny, esp since I bought a practically new, heavily modded, 24k mi car that was 14 years old (I drive it semi regularly in warmer weather; I got shamed into not driving it in the winter). The same applies for bikes, I suppose.

Obviously I have a lower stem also, but that's because my bike was initially fitted to me using a normal 12 cm stem with normal crit bend bars. When I went to compact, I had to go to a longer, lower stem to put the drops in the same place as before. Given the choice I'd have planned for a much shorter head tube so I could use an off-the-shelf stem to put the drops in the right place. But I had two identical-geometry frames built before I went to the compact bars.

Me on the bike, with the normal 12 cm stem, crit bend bars, first race on the bike (an "away" race so no race wheels), in Feb 2011. I was experimenting with a camelbak to eliminate bottles, decided bottles were better:

[mokofoko]

I don't like cutting steerers, and if I do I like to leave a healthy amount for spacers. I totally get wanting to have a bike setup perfectly for myself, but I like the idea of being able to pass a good bike along to another owner who might really enjoy it. Having a little extra steerer hasn't ever inconvenienced me any. And if it helps give a little extra life to a good fork (and makes someone else happy), all the better.


I've got 3 bikes equipped with F3 forks, and I honestly feel like it would be absolutely criminal to cut those steerers down any.

[cinema]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

Obviously I have a lower stem also, but that's because my bike was initially fitted to me using a normal 12 cm stem with normal crit bend bars. When I went to compact, I had to go to a longer, lower stem to put the drops in the same place as before. Given the choice I'd have planned for a much shorter head tube so I could use an off-the-shelf stem to put the drops in the right place. But I had two identical-geometry frames built before I went to the compact bars.

interesting i never thought about how changing the reach and bend of handlebars could also potentially warrant a change at the steerer/stem. another reason to leave a bit of steerer on the bone depending on which direction you end up going.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by mokofoko

I don't like cutting steerers, and if I do I like to leave a healthy amount for spacers. I totally get wanting to have a bike setup perfectly for myself, but I like the idea of being able to pass a good bike along to another owner who might really enjoy it. Having a little extra steerer hasn't ever inconvenienced me any. And if it helps give a little extra life to a good fork (and makes someone else happy), all the better.


I've got 3 bikes equipped with F3 forks, and I honestly feel like it would be absolutely criminal to cut those steerers down any.

F3 is a unicorn now. Chapeau to you for future considerations