BESNIN 17 Degree Bike Stem, 31.8mm 60mm 70mm 90mm 110mm 130mm MTB Stem Mountain Bike Handlebar Stem for Bicycle, Road Bike, MTB, BMX, Cycling (Aluminum Alloy)

Product Information

Assuming a stem length of 110 mm, a – 6 degree rise will give you a saddle to handlebar drop of 57 mm. For the same stem length, going by a -17 degree step, your saddle-to-bar drop will increase by 21 mm.

Mountain bike stems are typically around 50-80mm long, while road bike stems are longer, starting at around 80mm and extending to 120mm or longer as the frame size increases. Gravel bike stems typically sit somewhere between the two. The major determinants for stem cost are weight, stiffness and type of material used. Mountain bike stems are normally more robust and less concerned about weight than road stems. Stems are composed of steel, aluminum, carbon fiber or titanium. Aluminum is the most widely used material. Steel stems are cheaper but heavier, while carbon and titanium stems are lighter but more expensive. Along with saving weight, carbon fiber also helps to dampen road vibrations. Simply put, a longer stem provides you a more stretched out and aggressive posture while shorter stems bring bars closer to the saddle and put you in a more comfortable position. Regular riders will want a fairly neutral position so will go with a slight rise, say 6° or 7° and a middling length according to their needs and position. Alloy stems are relatively cheap and light weight so they are the most common model available. Carbon stems are lighter and can be incredibly stiff but they’re also way more expensive so usually favoured by racers or weight weenies.

Prime Doyenne Lightweight Road Stem

A stem is the component that connects your handlebars to the frame of your bike. A threadless stem clamps around the steerer tube of your bicycle’s fork whereas a quill stem inserts inside the top of the fork steerer tube and is held in place internally. An adjustable stem allows you to easily alter the angle of your bike on the stem itself without having to replace the entire unit. Most new bikes come with threadless stems; however, some hybrids and a lot of older bikes have quill stems. Bike stems range between negative 10 to positive 17 degrees. When a stem has a positive degree, it is called a “rise”. The stem with a negative degree is commonly referred to as “having a drop”. The higher the stem rise is, the more upright your position will be. Alternately, the lower the drop of the stem is, the more aggressive your bike will feel. As a result, fine-tuning the stem can be one way to tweak the handling of your bike – but remember, your stem doesn’t exist in isolation and changing the stem length will also impact your position on the bike. Don’t forget that you can also probably raise and lower your stem by moving the spacers around on the fork steerer. Often all it takes is to swap a 10mm spacer from being under the stem to being over the stem to make all the difference you need. Fork steerer tubes are almost universally 1 1/8” at the top – even if the fork is 1.5” oversize at the fork crown – so most stem manufacturers don’t even quote this clamp figure.

Quill stems went out of fashion because the contemporary bolt-on stem and fork design is stronger and lighter. It’s easier to manufacture too, because with a quill stem the steerer tube needs to be threaded, with a screw-on top headset bearing. Similar to stem length, you will have to experiment with stem rise to find the ideal balance of pedalling comfort and handling response. On that note, you can also change your stem length to adjust the reach from the saddle to the handlebar.Most newer bikes come with a steerer tube diameter of 1 and 1/8 in. Some mountain bikes come with 1.5 in. steerer tube and older bikes usually accommodate a 1 in steerer tube diameter only. Handlebar Clamp Diameter Newer bikes most likely require stems with a 1 and 1/8 in. steerer tube clamp and an oversized 31.8mm handlebar clamp. On average, it is best for casual riders to have a longer stem (70mm to 120mm) with a positive (6 to 10 degree) rise. It is worthwhile to discuss stem options and fit with qualified staff at your local bike shop. In contrast, a short stem is usually the best option for competitive road riders. Handling is more compliant and the rider sits in a more aggressive and aerodynamic position. A short stem requires more precise movements, which can feel twitchy to inexperienced riders. Hybrid An adjustable stem is worthwhile if you want to be as upright and comfortable as possible. However, the adjustability comes with added weight, and an extreme upright position is appropriate for short distances only. For those riding thirty minutes or more, a slightly bent body position is advantageous for muscle function and wind resistance. Cost of Stems

The stem rise or the stem angle is basically the rise between handlebars and stem. It is usually measured in degrees. Stem rise affects the bike positioning and your reach to the handlebars. The higher degree of rise, the more upright your position will be. Alternatively, an inverted stem rise lowers the handlebar’s height in relation to the ground and keeps you in a lower position. On my Colnago EPS, I have a Deda Zero100 stem in 110mm. The specs say it is an 82 degree stem. Looking at the stem, it has almost no rise to it. Lastly and not to be overlooked is the stem colour. Does it match your bike, bars, seatpost? A small consideration to some but once you have your position sorted there’s no point in spoiling it with the wrong aesthetics! As a rule of thumb, on a road bike you shouldn’t run a stem much shorter than 90mm or much longer than 130mm. If you need a stem length beyond those extremes, your bike frame is the wrong size. Sorry! Rise Stems are labeled in two different ways: either (1) the actual angle, or (2) in terms of their difference from 90 degrees. I guess, the numbers are based on mounting the stem on a perpendicular tube, but they have nothing to do with head tube angle on your bike.The majority of riders will appreciate a fairly low angle ie. less than 10° as this gives a fairly neutral position with just a low rise. Leisure riders will appreciate a more upright position. Racers will try to get a low as possible for better aerodynamics.