My stem has spacers!!!

[confusedcyclist]

Can't believe I am about to admit this but...

That moment when you thought you bought a bike online that was too big for you (drop bars seemed awfully high compared with the saddle height) only to just realise that the stem has 5 spacers on it.

I know Ginat Defy's are supposed to have comfortable geometries but this was taking the biscuit.

Before and after pics coming soon... It's only taken me 4 months to work this out.

 

[Banjo]

Can't believe I am about to admit this but...

That moment when you thought you bought a bike online that was too big for you (drop bars seemed awfully high compared with the saddle height) only to just realise that the stem has 5 spacers on it.

I know Ginat Defy's are supposed to have comfortable geometries but this was taking the biscuit.

Before and after pics coming soon... It's only take me 4 months to work this out.

Put the spare spacers on top for now and dont cut the steerer until you have ridden it a few months .

Whats comfy on a short ride may be crippling on a full day ride and you cant glue it back on .

 

[slowmotion]

Put the spare spacers on top for now and dont cut the steerer until you have ridden it a few months .

Whats comfy on a short ride may be crippling on a full day ride and you cant glue it back on .

If you can put the spacers back on top, I don't understand why anybody would be tempted to cut the tube down. Is it a matter of aesthetics? I'm genuinely curious.

 

[Pottsy]

Yes it's aesthetics, it looks rubbish with lots of spacers, particularly above the stem.

See what User says about Thorn bikes, dreadful.

 

[numbnuts]

[QUOTE 3415582, member: 45"]Don't start me on Thorn bikes....[/QUOTE]
I love my spacers

 

[Geoff Crowther]

I love my spacers

Me too

 

[slowmotion]

Yes it's aesthetics, it looks rubbish with lots of spacers, particularly above the stem.
.

From now on, I'll put a small brown paper bag over mine held on with duct tape.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

See what User says about Thorn bikes, dreadfully comfortable.

FTFY




Owner of a Thorn Nomad....

 

[Geoff Crowther]

FTFY




Owner of a Thorn Nomad....

Brilliant Emma!

 

[totallyfixed]

Can't believe I am about to admit this but...

That moment when you thought you bought a bike online that was too big for you (drop bars seemed awfully high compared with the saddle height) only to just realise that the stem has 5 spacers on it.

I know Ginat Defy's are supposed to have comfortable geometries but this was taking the biscuit.

Before and after pics coming soon... It's only taken me 4 months to work this out.

That is very strange, in all my years of cycling / building bikes I can honestly say I have never seen a spacer on a stem. Are you sure?

 

[sreten]

Hi,

Apparently you need to leave at least one spacer under the stem, according to
a pretty decent bike maintenance book I read, I'm still trying to work out why ....

All new Aheadset bikes come with all the spacers under the stem. I've seen
very few bikes with top spacers, and very few with limited bottom spacers
than imply the the head tube has been cut down for no top spacers.

FWIW mine has 3 equally fat 10mm spacers, 2 of them are on the top,

rgds, sreten.

 

[bpsmith]

My Bianchi came with 2 x 10mm spacers underneath and 2 x 10mm and a 20mm spacer on top.

 

[BigAl68]

I have some nice red anodized ones below and above the stem and made them a feature of the bike. I have come close to cutting it a few times but like my bike with them now.

 

[confusedcyclist]

@totallyfixed Ok 5 may have been a slight exaggeration, I just hecked and it's come with 4 spacers, 2x10mm and 2x20mm much like bpsmith's bianchi.

Not sure if you can make it out at this resolution but:

 

[confusedcyclist]

The top of my seat and the stem are more or less parallel, seat might be about 50mm higher max, not much in it really, haven't had a chance to change them out yet, but I'm dying to try a more aggressive position.