Originally Posted by
Rolla
I don't think stem length affects steering enough to notice much, but it does affect weight distribution, and that can make a bike feel like it's steering differently.
I'd say trail and rake have a greater effect on steering than stem length.
It's actually head angle and offset (rake)...those 2 numbers result in a specific amount of trail. I'm glad everyone in this thread seems to understand what is really happening. Changing stem length doesn't change how a bike turns, that is soley determined by geometry mentioned previously (head angle and rake). Just as you say weight distribution changes how the bike feels, but not how it turns.