Stem Length vs Stability

frenk said:

if
shorter stem => less weight on the front => less stability
holds, then also
shorter stem => less stability
holds. :-)

A more accurate argument would be that the shorter stem provides FASTER handling, not LESS stability. The bike is just as stable as it was with the longer stem, its the handling characteristics that have changed, any percieved instabilty is on the part of the rider, not the bike.

My tri bike came with a 120 stem on it, but to get as low as i wanted, i needed a shorter stem, so I got a 100mm. Handling is def. quicker feeling. Less stable? Not on your life, as i like the handling more now. I will be getting an 80mm, as I will be going even lower soon. I will just have to adjust again.

triguy98 said:

A more accurate argument would be that the shorter stem provides FASTER handling, not LESS stability. The bike is just as stable as it was with the longer stem, its the handling characteristics that have changed, any percieved instabilty is on the part of the rider, not the bike.

My tri bike came with a 120 stem on it, but to get as low as i wanted, i needed a shorter stem, so I got a 100mm. Handling is def. quicker feeling. Less stable? Not on your life, as i like the handling more now. I will be getting an 80mm, as I will be going even lower soon. I will just have to adjust again.

? *scratch* ? A shorter stem w/out lowering stack height makes you more upright. A longer stem will make you more stretched.

And I was dramatically lowering my stack height as i refined my aero position. They set those things up for old geezers off of the rack. I prolly went down over an inch, between the spacers on the steerer and some spacers in the aerobars.

Good arguments on both sides. So who's right? I'm about to get an 80 or 90 stem.

Frenk seems like an engineer who knows what's up. Hd Reynolds is convincing as well.

I'll contact Specialized to get their opinion...

snails_pace said:

Here locally about the only other choice is Specialized and maybe Lemond.

Back to what frame to get for people with legs that are long in proportion to the torso (or whose torso is short in proportion to the legs) - one of my daughters had the same problem. Most of the manufacturers have frames designed for women. I am not talking about step-through frames, but frames where the reach is shorter for the women's model than it is for the men's model of the same height.

My daughter chose the Lemond Reno Women's model and has been happy with it.