Specialized Secteur adjustable stem. HELP!

[slowmotion]

I wonder if anybody could help? I bought my first road bike two weeks ago, a Specialized Secteur Elite 2010, and I've been spending a bit of time experimenting with the fit. The 58cm frame size comes with a 110mm stem, described thus in the Spesh literature.....
Specialized Elite-Set, 3D forged alloy, 4-position adjustable, 4-bolt 31.8mm clamp

I am fairly sure that I need a stem that is about 80mm, rather than the 110mm one that came with the bike. If I find one, can somebody tell me where the installation instructions can be found? An added bonus would be any technical info about the stem geometry. I have searched the Spesh websites and drew a blank. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks.

 

[MacB]

looking at the website it just looks like a regular type of ahead stem that's adjustable, as in it fits and removes like any other ahead stem. Here's a straight forward video about fitting:-

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgAiElcaVjs


Don't forget though that stem length, with regard to how far you are reaching, is altered by stem angle. If you had a fully adjustable stem, for example one that went from -30 to +30 degrees and was 110mm long. Comparing the two extremes, the stem at -30 would be 105mm lower and 32mm more reach than the stem at +30.

Say you have a standardish stem angle of 10 degrees for two stems, one at 110mm and one at 80mm, the 80mm stem will be 12mm lower and 27mm less reach. But if you compared the same 80mm stem to one of 110mm that was set at a 30 deg angle(thinking your adjustability here) then the reach for both stems would be the same but the 110mm stem would place the bars 49mm higher.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Regarding your Specialized Elite-Set adjustable stem, I suspect it is similar if not identical to their Comp/Pro/SWorks-Set stems, unlike the more usual adjustable stems they are adjustable via shims that presumably might have come with your bike when new (instruction diagram is here). By applying the shims in different ways you get different angles of rise, which then as MacB said allows different reach and height for your handlebar.

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks MacB. I have a pretty good idea about where I want the bars to be in three dimensions. I just need to get them to that position. I can (1)remove spacers (2) adjust stem angle, or (3) change stem length.... and a whole cocktail of remedies involving all or some of them.

I'm quite good at trigonometry and geometry (not wishing to come over all clever clogs!), but I just can't find any information on the wretched stem and how to adjust one of a similar type for stem angle.

Thanks.

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks RAFN. Cross post. I will try and study that in detail. The instructions do not look that user friendly, but I'm really grateful.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I have a secteur elite but I have never had the stem off but if it is like the other specialized stem I have on my MTB there is a sleeve inside the stem where it fits onto the top of the forks if you turn it round it is off center and it will give you either a + angle or a - angle depending on which way round it is so you can alter the angle and tip the bars up or down.

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks Phil. What has me worried is the faintly sinister mention of a number of shims that come with the stem. Somewhere there is a document that tells bike mechs how to set it up. I'm still digging for a really friendly one!
Best wishes.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

The stem I got for my MTB came with 3 sleeves for different angles but the elite only has the one on the bike, just undo the bolts and lift it up you will soon see how it works. If you look in between the bolts on the back of the stem you willl see some numbers they are to do with the angle it is set for I think.

 

[youngoldbloke]

There are a number of handy stem rise calculators on line - try googling

 

[slowmotion]

Thank-you everybody. I think I've got it. The Elite-Set stem has four positions +16, +8, -8, and -16 degrees. These can be achieved with just one shim, by rotating it through 180 degrees in the alloy housing. You get the positive angles by having the stem one way up, and the negative angles by flipping the stem upside down.

I think.....

 

[phil_hg_uk]

That sounds about right

 

[bedw]

http://cdn.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/manuals/09 Multi_Pos_Stem_Indiv_r1.pdf

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks bedw.

 

[gwhite]

Regarding your Specialized Elite-Set adjustable stem, I suspect it is similar if not identical to their Comp/Pro/SWorks-Set stems, unlike the more usual adjustable stems they are adjustable via shims that presumably might have come with your bike when new (instruction diagram is here). By applying the shims in different ways you get different angles of rise, which then as MacB said allows different reach and height for your handlebar.

What a great idea and one that I've never heard of before. This is going to become really useful.
Many thanks.