Changed my stem today-WOW! riding on cloud 9

[jobob]

show-off

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So did you replace it with a Rivendell lugged stem?
V.

No Veronica, I didn't. Those lugged Nitto stems only come as short as an 8cm (my original stem was 9cm), and I needed a 5cm if I also wanted move my seat back to where it should be, in the middle area of the rails (which I did). Total handlebar position difference I wound up with was 3cm back after moving my seat back too.

I don't think I'd want to spend $200 on that lugged stem- especially when Rivendell sort of admits they are not as perfectly made as thier own frames, they say: "It is hand made and it shows. If you look closely you can see the brazing material around the edges of the lug. This is not a bad thing it just adds to the character. Each one is unique and takes a long time to make. To make a lug stem as perfect as our Rivendell frames it would easily cost twice or three times as much." (You mean like $500 for a stem??? I'd rather buy a new bike wardrobe!)

My bike feels great now with the new stem I put on however...looks just like the one that came on the bike but shorter. Went for a 15 mile ride yesterday with the new stem.
I love the slightly tighter steering feel to my front end with the 700c tires. I had no problem at all standing up to muscle up steep hills. And as I mentioned in another thread, I set a personal speed record downhill at 36mph yesterday, -partly because I can now go down in the handlebar drops comfortably, which I couldn't do at ALL before, had to stay on the hoods downhill. I can also now reach my bar end shifters more easily.

As Emily brings up though, there are multiple factors to take into account. Aside from everyone's body being differently proportioned to begin with, there is frame geometry, wheel size, handlebar width and height, seat and leg position, upright or bent down body position...I guess limitless factors which can come into play when adjusting one's biking position. I also think that this stuff becomes more important if one wants to ride with more specialized purposes (long distance touring, racing, centuries, off-road, etc), rather than just riding around town or to the corner store.