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Data collection: what's your stem stack height?
Hi Team
I'm hoping to borrow 5 mins of your time for you to measure and post the stack height of your stems. Just to be explicit, the stack height in this case being the height of the clamping area that grips the steerer tube, i.e. the bit between your top cap and the spacers under the stem. Can you please measure and post the height and the model of stem?
The reason for this odd request is that I have just picked up a set of 120mm forks but the steerer is a tad too short so I'm looking to replace my stem with a short stack alternative. Unfortunately it's not a measurement that many of the manufacturers include in their specs so short of wandering around a lot of bike shops with a set of verniers there's no way of making the right choice. If I can find something around 35mm I'll be a happy camper
To start the list:
Trutavit Stylo World Cup 70mm: 40.5mm
thanks in advance
d
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40mm, Easton EC90 SL
Although it has a spacer above it of about 10cm. Instructions for some forks and stems insist on a spacer above the stem.
How long does the stem need to be? The lowest 50mm reach stems I know of are Race Face D2s and the Straitline Pinch but they may need a spacer underneath to clear some headsets. From memory the RF was just over 25mm and the Straitline ~35mm, for me the Straitline was too light and I could twist the thing a lot under load.
You could get one of these stems: http://www.syntace.com/index.cfm?pid=3&pk=2629
The Syntace stem is interesting, not quite right for this application as I want to keep some bar height but 27mm stack height is impresive. Their Megaforce 2 on the other hand looks like a contender with 36mm stack height and 30mm steerer required, thanks for the lead.
I had the same predicament and measured 4 stems and they were all 40mm
Straitline, Specialized, Truvativ, and some no name
I was right on the limit, so I also used a carbon expander (in an alloy steerer) instead of the star nut/top cap arrangement.
The expander has a lip about 3mm on it which sits above the steerer, so it gives you a bit more height.
A Thomson x4 stem 90mm: 40.?mm.
Hi Andy, I'd been thinking along a similar lines so glad to see someone else has gone there. I have a Hope Hed Lock spare http://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG115 which if I had 5mm of offcut steerer tube could become an extension to the steerer and star-nut in one. Any chance anyone has kept the offcuts from when they've trimmer a steerer?
What about looking at bearing stack heights? You might be able to find a set that gives you more room.
Hey Disco
The shop is trimming the steerer on a fork for me this week
I can ask them to keep the offcut and send it to you if you can wait until next week
That would be awesome, the forks are still in the post so no rush there at all. It will make an interesting little experiment to see how this works as a quasi steerer extension. Here I was thinking it would be impossible to find an off-cut.
What goes around comes around Danny
A bloke on Rotorburn from Cairns sent me a cable clamp he didn't need last week
Didn't want anything for it - just didn't need it
PM me your delivery address and I'll put this in the post for you next week
Good luck with it - let us know how it goes
Try (especially the last two) HTH.
http://www.pushys.com.au/dmr-defy-enduro-50x35mm...
http://search.cellbikes.com.au/cycling/31.8mm%20...
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/MOWA-Venus-ROAD-MTB-...
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=...
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopi...
Heya, I've got a Syntace Megaforce2 in 60mm, and I think the stack height is actually 38mm. I'll double check when I go for a ride this evening as I've never actually measured it, but was basing it off the last 2 stems I had which were both 38mm stacked.
So, I've got 4 stems currently that all come in at 38mm stack height being:
Syntace Megaforce 2 60mm - 36 (claimed). Great stem, burly but quite light!
Loaded AMX 50mm - 37mm (claimed). Absolutely bombproof stem. Run another on my DH bike.
MOWA 80mm - 38mm (Claimed) - Was great but wanted something shorter.
Raceface Turbine XC 60mm - 38mm (claimed) - Never actually run it yet, as I got a great deal on the Syntace just after I bought this one.
You've got me interested now so I'm gonna break out the verniers tonight and measure them all accurately!
My choice for all of those for my style of riding (heavy XC/trail into the fabled AM) is for sure the Syntace one. Excellent package from every angle.
I'll update again later on tonight!
So, I cracked out the digital calipers tonight and found the actual heights of each stem I've got handy at the moment. I've rounded to the nearest .5mm to make things a tad easier. So, from lowest to tallest:
Syntace Megaforce 2 (60mm) - 36mm
Loaded Inc AMX - 37mm (50mm) - 37mm
MOWA Venus (80mm) - 38mm
Raceface Turbine (60mm) - 39.5mm (1.5 taller than claimed!)
I was actually quite surprised how close each stem was to it's claimed height (generally within .1mm), with the Syntace and Loaded Inc stems being bang on their claimed heights. I was even more surprised that the Raceface Turbine was so far out too! I measured it a number of times to be sure, and it was definitely 1.5mm taller than claimed on the site.
I hope that helps mate! The Syntace is a great stem, worth the dollars for sure
I've had that predicament in the past & have got over it in the following ways:
1. As you're trying, fit a low stem.
2. Use a headset with a very low stack height.
3. Weld an extra bit back onto the steerer. Not recomended if you need more than 1cm, I've done it & it worked fine.
I've measured my stem collection & the On One Cnc is 36mm & the Easton EA90 come up at 38mm. The majority are 40mm.
Good luck.
T
Thanks for all of the advice guys and for the offcut Andy. I'm going to run with the hope hed-lock extension plan as step one as it's free and I'm only a few mm short. If that's not satisfactory then I'll go for a low stem, you've given me lots to choose from there.
I'm running a relatively short Hope headset which I selected as a good balance between stack height and quality, the Crank Bros ones are shorter but nowhere near as durable as the hope.
I'll post some photos once it's done for the next guys that has this problem, it seems like it's more common than I thought
You want the top stem pinch bolt to be in line or a bit lower than the top of the steerer. I don't know if fitting an extra bit of steerer is a wise choice, if you can fit that I'd say you need a lower stack height stem.
I had to run an Acros headset and D2 stem on my DH bike to get the required steerer length, for a sub 80g headset it has done really well.