Would you rather... spacers and stems
#1
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Would you rather... spacers and stems
Assuming the math works out to be equal, almost, would you rather use 20mm of spacers with a -6deg stem or flip the stem and slam it to the head tube (no or 5mm spacer) with +6deg stem? I think the stem in the negative direction would make the stem look almost level but raised off the head tube. Whereas the positive direction would give you the slammed look but would give a rising stem look. So, which way? BTW which way is the "correct" way to install a stem. Negative or positive direction?
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Purely personal aesthetics.
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Assuming the math works out to be equal, almost, would you rather use 20mm of spacers with a -6deg stem or flip the stem and slam it to the head tube (no or 5mm spacer) with +6deg stem? I think the stem in the negative direction would make the stem look almost level but raised off the head tube. Whereas the positive direction would give you the slammed look but would give a rising stem look. So, which way? BTW which way is the "correct" way to install a stem. Negative or positive direction?
Last edited by Litespud; 05-22-20 at 01:27 PM.
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A benefit to going with the -deg stem and leaving spacers underneath is that it leaves more steerer tube intact for future adjustment, assuming you cut the tube so you're not running a stack of spacers above. You would cut the steerer, right? If you care about aesthetics, that would be more important than the stem angle.
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A benefit to going with the -deg stem and leaving spacers underneath is that it leaves more steerer tube intact for future adjustment, assuming you cut the tube so you're not running a stack of spacers above. You would cut the steerer, right? If you care about aesthetics, that would be more important than the stem angle.
Last edited by alcjphil; 05-22-20 at 04:45 PM.
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I’m OK with cutting a steerer right down because it looks much better, but I won’t do it impulsively. My last fork, I cut it to leave ~20mm above the stem, then spent most of a year experimenting with the stem height, 5mm up or down for maybe a month at a time. Once I had settled on a height, I left it for a few months before I cut it down. It’s where I want it, and it looks good. I’m not going to have an ugly stump sticking up out of my stem just to convenience some hypothetical future owner. If, down the road, I need a couple of centimeters extra height, I have a spare fork with a little extra steerer length in the parts box
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A benefit to going with the -deg stem and leaving spacers underneath is that it leaves more steerer tube intact for future adjustment, assuming you cut the tube so you're not running a stack of spacers above. You would cut the steerer, right? If you care about aesthetics, that would be more important than the stem angle.
Thanks...
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I was wondering if you could tell me the components of your cross check. I am in the process of having LBS build one from frame I purchased online. I would like to do it at a reasonable cost. I love your handlebars and bell!
Last edited by Commuter59; 05-30-20 at 07:31 AM. Reason: would like to include quote
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I really like gorillimo's bike set-up, but I would put fenders on mine. The price of the wheels and tires they I have been quoted seems high. Bontrager Paradigm 700c TLR $380.00 for set of wheels and $130.00 for Bontrager GR! 700x40 tires. Thanks for any input.