30° rise stem length?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
My wife has just got a new bike. It's a GT Avalanche, size M.

1st ride out on it yesterday, 18 miles by the side of Ladybower and Howden reservoirs so not too hilly or bumpy, she has been round a few times before on various bikes.
At the start of the ride her position/posture was perfect, the best I have ever seen with her. Normally she tries to fight the geometry of the bike (probably because they were too long and low for her) and often rides with stretched fingers resting on the bars, back curved forward, trying to sit as upright as possible. It's painful to watch :sad:

This time as we set off I instantly noticed how she was resting on her palms, elbows slightly bent out and back straight, it was a joy to see and she looked comfortable and ready for action. Unfortunately she hasn't been sleeping well for a day or two and was a bit tired before we set off. It was also cooler than the previous few days so with a chilly headwind for the 1st half of the ride she did struggle a bit. Towards the end of the ride she had reverted to her 'old' riding position and was suffering slightly with a sore neck (not terrible but starting to get uncomfortable).
I think there were a number of factors at play here. She was tired and a bit cold which is never great when on a bike. Also, while the cockpit is much shorter than the bikes she has used in the past (and she commented on this at the start of the ride) the bars are still pretty low.

The standard stem measures at 80mm and is probably about 5° rise.

My question is this, do I replace it with an 80mm 30° rise stem or should I go for a slightly longer stem because the steeper stem of the same length will effectively move the bars closer to the rider/steerer tube?

Ritchey Comp 30° stem
 
Location
Loch side.
Shorter and rise. It seems to me you're on the right path. I have a 60mm here with a rise that I can send to you to test if you like. You just pay for postage both ways. It is a clamp for I 1/8th steerer and 25.4mm bar.
 

dawn72

Well-Known Member
I asked a similar question of rutland and they directed me towards the same stem as you're considering , with 60 mm length compared to my current 70mm 7 degree stem. I've not ordered yet but would be interested to hear how your wife gets on
 
Top Bottom