Originally Posted by
thechemist
I won't ever go back to anything less than 110mm stem. Stability has been a huge confidence booster with a longer stem.
@
tetonrider it is interesting that you found a difference between the tarmac and venge descending/cornering. My future plan was always to drop a bike size and go with the venge over my current tarmac for several reasons. However, since adding length to my stem, I wonder if I had judged the tarmac too severely and perhaps will just drop a size for another tarmac.
the understeering is really subtle. i've been riding a tarmac and venge, extensively, for 3 years. i ride them side by side. i typically train on the tarmac and race the venge, but in any given week i have them both out. the difference is subtle enough for me that it took until know and
really focusing on small things for me to pinpoint.
i'm 5'11" and ride 56 frames with 120mm stems. i run a flat top cap with almost no stack height instead of the supplied caps. this is a particular issue with the tall head tubes and especially so for the venge's "aero" top cap; the shortest one is 15mm.
i have no problem recommending either bike (in fact, the venge is the one bike you'd have to pry out of my cold, dead hands), but i figured i'd note the slight understeer. if faced with riding a sub-100mm stem, i'd definitely look at the next lower size.
the tarmac is honestly a great handling bike. i can understand someone preferring another or simply not wanting to buy a specialized bike, but if someone rides a tarmac for a while and thinks 'meh' with respect to the handling, i think it may be more of a sign that something is not right with the setup. it's been around for a long time for a reason and is a common choice in the pro ranks for a reason (beyond just the marketing/sponsor stuff). i'd at least
test the right size tarmac with a 110 or 120 stem to see what you think.
, but of course also test other bikes in the right size.