Shorter road bike stem

"J. Painter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| Hi all:
|
| I'm a mountain biker who just bought a Giant OCR2 road bike. I love
| the bike, but the adjustable stem that came with it is too long. When
| resting on the hoods, my elbows are straight and I can see the front
| axle. I've already adjusted saddle position...
|
| Anyway, I'd like to replace the stem with a shorter one (probably
| 90mm) yet my bike shop seems to think my choices are limited. The
| steerer is a 1 and 1/8 size. Is there not an inexpensive 90mm stem I
| could buy, and isn't it easy to just unbolt the old stem and plop on
| the new one, especially if I get one with a four bolt front that will
| allow the handlebars to stay intact? Is my bike shop full of BS, or
| am I missing something here? TIA...

I'm hoping there is something else here that has not been made clear,
because if not, your bike shop are a bunch of [censored]. Just about everyone
makes 90mm stems in 1-1/8. Look at Salsa, just about every stem they make
is available in a 90mm.
http://www.salsacycles.com/comps_stems.html

Since the stem is adjustable, what angle do you currently have it set to?
Maybe that is what is limiting your choices. Also, if the handlebar is
31.8, that could also limit your choices. But nonetheless the bike
catalogue most shops order from is chock full of stems:
http://harriscyclery.net/site/page.cfm?PageID=49&Category=1535

ITM and Ritchey make adjustable stems in 80, 100 and 110 (no 90) but plenty
of angle choices in here at 90mm.

Quoted message said:

Anyway, I'd like to replace the stem with a shorter one (probably
90mm) yet my bike shop seems to think my choices are limited. The
steerer is a 1 and 1/8 size. Is there not an inexpensive 90mm stem I
could buy, and isn't it easy to just unbolt the old stem and plop on
the new one, especially if I get one with a four bolt front that will
allow the handlebars to stay intact? Is my bike shop full of BS, or
am I missing something here? TIA...

There are many options in 90mm stems, as well as 80mm & 70mm. If the shop
sells bikes that come with Bontrager equipment (TREK, Klein, Fisher or
LeMond), they can order one easily. If not, then one of the primary
industry suppliers, QBP, stocks such stems under the Dimension brand.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

John:

You were right--somthing was not made clear. The bike shop clarified
that there is not a lot of selection in ADJUSTABLE stems. I didn't
care about that, so they were able to find a fixed stem the right
length for about 40 bucks. All's well that ends well. Thanks for
your insight...

J. Painter

"John Rees" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news> "J. Painter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...
| Hi all:
|
| I'm a mountain biker who just bought a Giant OCR2 road bike. I love
| the bike, but the adjustable stem that came with it is too long. When
| resting on the hoods, my elbows are straight and I can see the front
| axle. I've already adjusted saddle position...
|
| Anyway, I'd like to replace the stem with a shorter one (probably
| 90mm) yet my bike shop seems to think my choices are limited. The
| steerer is a 1 and 1/8 size. Is there not an inexpensive 90mm stem I
| could buy, and isn't it easy to just unbolt the old stem and plop on
| the new one, especially if I get one with a four bolt front that will
| allow the handlebars to stay intact? Is my bike shop full of BS, or
| am I missing something here? TIA...

I'm hoping there is something else here that has not been made clear,
because if not, your bike shop are a bunch of [censored]. Just about everyone
makes 90mm stems in 1-1/8. Look at Salsa, just about every stem they make
is available in a 90mm.
http://www.salsacycles.com/comps_stems.html

Since the stem is adjustable, what angle do you currently have it set to?
Maybe that is what is limiting your choices. Also, if the handlebar is
31.8, that could also limit your choices. But nonetheless the bike
catalogue most shops order from is chock full of stems:
http://harriscyclery.net/site/page.cfm?PageID=49&Category=1535

ITM and Ritchey make adjustable stems in 80, 100 and 110 (no 90) but plenty
of angle choices in here at 90mm.

(J. Painter) said:

Hi all:
Anyway, I'd like to replace the stem with a shorter one (probably
90mm) yet my bike shop seems to think my choices are limited.

Quoted message said:

J Painter

http://www.dedaelementi.com/img/articoli/logo_Grande.jpg is available
in 1cm increments from 6cm up.

http://www.3ttt.com/grafica/prodotti/the.jpg is available in 5,8, and
10cm, and http://www.3ttt.com/grafica/prodotti/forgie.jpg is availble
in 9cm.

All the above are at the cheap end of the scale.

Your choice is limited, but probably not in the way your bike shop
suggests; there are plenty of cheap short stems, but it's hard to find
a high end model shorter than 10cm, though Thomson will oblige with 5,
7 or 9cm versions of their Elite Road stem
http://www.lhthomson.com/rstempartslist.asp

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary