The Role of the Bicycle Stem

Although the bicycle stem is a small part, its function is very important. It is the connecting piece that connects the handlebar to the steering tube that connects the bike to the front fork. Without this critical part, there is no way to control the front wheel of your bike to go in the direction you want.

The main parameters of the stem include the extension length and angle. These two directly affect the feeling of control. Anyone who has played bicycles for a period of time knows that the XC model has a longer stem, which is good for climbing. AM and DH handlebars need to be shorter. The stem makes the control flexible, generally speaking, but it is not so simple when debugging the vehicle. It is more important to be able to set the stem according to your own gameplay.

The length of the stem can significantly affect the handling performance of the car. The first is the short stem (less than 90mm). The short stem is more responsive and flexible! With better handling performance, downhill bikes generally use short stems (about 20mm). Because the center of gravity is further back, the operation is more direct, and the off-road bending and brushing stairs are more handy. But there is also a problem. Too short a stem may cause the rider to get up and rock the bike uncomfortably (it is very obvious under the handlebars).

Then there is the long stem (110mm-130mm or even larger). The long stem has high stability. Generally, the long stem is used on road bikes, which can make the rider better maintain stability at high speed. However, accidentally choosing a too long stem will affect the riding feeling, the feeling of control will be dull, the center of gravity of the rider will be more in front, and it will be more difficult to control the car if you are not used to it.