Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,182
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
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On second stem vs the Thorn Accessory T Bar, I do not think one is always better than the other, just different and in some situations one may be preferable. Since I use both on different bikes, my comparison is that the Thorn consumes less steerer tube length and is available with distance out front as short as 55mm. Second stem, you have lots of choices of stems, including adjustable ones and ones with more drop from a steeper angle. And of course if you are in USA, the Thorn option has a shipping cost from UK.
And of course if your size frame has a shorter head tube you might not have the wheel clearance you need to use either. In my case I am fortunate to have a tall enough size bike frame that I can lower my handlebar bag with a second stem and also fit a fork crown mounted headlamp under it on most of my bikes. Have a bit more clearance on the 26 inc wheel bikes than on 700c.
Some people have bought the Thorn option because the diameter is the same as a mountain bike, a Rohloff shifter can be installed on it. But that is a special case for those that have a twist grip shifter that is sized for a mountain bike handlebar diameter.
Thorn makes some longer ones too, some people might be interested in that, but I try to keep my handlebar bag as close to the steering axis as possible for handling purposes so I only cited the 55mm one.