[Carding]

I have a Blur XC using Thomson stem 100.I am planning to change it to 70 or 80.I am not comfortable using 100 specially during small drops and technical downhill.I feel like I'm stooping forward on my bike.I am 5' 9" tall.Do you think 70 size stem will do or 80? Any suggestions will help.Thanks.

 

[augustiner]

70 seems pretty short for an xc bike. Ive got a large SL and have a 120mm stem (im 6')...sometimes that feels a little long, but the bike isnt really for jumps and drops...id say 80 or 90..go too short and you wont like how it climbs

 

[jeffus]

70mm is great for improving the feel on the DH techy stuff , I swopped between 100-70 on my SL the 70 was much better for giving you a confidence boost, climbing was effected slightly, but not in any great way, you just adapt.

 

[Shmack]

How about dropping your seat height. I just went from a 80mm thomson to a 100mm stem on my SL and I think it has made the handling much better. They are the same angle.

I messed around with it and figured that I also needed to drop my seat to balance the longer stem. With a shorted stem, you may fell crunched up in the cockpit, this is why I went to the longer one.

At the end of the day, the longer stem feels more stable on the descents! Can you add more spacers below the stem or try a steeper anlge?

I guess I had the opposite experience of jeffus with this, but like I said the drop in saddle height was key! I think it's pretty common for poeple, especially from an XC background, to ride with a saddle set to high.

 

[jeffus]

How about dropping your seat height

yes this always works for me, my SL with the short stem and the seat down flew down hill I found the faster turning of the short stem helped me,tackle the techy turns etc...

 

[FoShizzle]

people with pubes generally wont run anything longer than a 90mm

 

[augustiner]

i guess i should switch out all my stems to 90 or less so i can sprout some pubes

 

[Jaji]

^ thats pretty much what he's saying

 

[FoShizzle]

i guess i should switch out all my stems to 90 or less so i can sprout some pubes

thats a good idea...and switch to bars with a minimum of 710mm, ideally 740mm, while you are at it like real mean do