spacers vs angled stem

[honesty]

Currently I have something like 60mm (50mm below the stem, 10mm above) of spacers and a 8 degree 100mm stem on my bike. I am contemplating changing the stem for a stem with 17 degrees rise at 110mm long, this gets the bar back to where they are currently (near as anyway) and allows me to remove 30mm of stem and cut down the steerer. Now apart from asthetics (and that it will be a higher spec stem which I'll be able to get for very little money) what are the advantages/disadvantages of this? I'm guessing theres going to a very slight weight saving...

[meic]

The advantage is that you can leave the 30mm of stem there and be able to raise the bars further when you want or need to.

[samsbike]

Also if you get the specialized stem you can raise it by another 8 degrees by using a shim, which is very neat.

Halbenos cycles (do a search) do a great stem raise/ lenght calcutor.

[niggle]

The disadvantages are that you have spent money and used up the planet's resources needlessly.

[honesty]

The disadvantages are that you have spent money and used up the planet's resources needlessly.

that argument would have made more sense before the 2nd bike... but for a stem, not so much.

[tim-b]

You don't specify your fork, but be careful here.

The manufacturer of your fork may specify a maximum stack height of headset spacers; mine, for example, is 40mm.
My manufacturer also warns against permanently placing spacers above the stem.

My manufacturer also makes some stem recommendations

A little research in this area may help to inform your decision

Regards
tim-b

[reohn2]

Other than that extremely miniscule weight saving there's no advantage/disadvantange.
If the fork steerer is steel there shouldn't be any safety worries with 50/10mm spacer stack,alu or C/F steerers are another matter.

[honesty]

Aluminium. Hummm... will have to go and find the manufacturer website now!

[meic]

In my opinion and I could be wrong, it doesnt matter directly how many spacers you have under the stem. If the handlebars are in the same place, the lever effect will be the same and that is what causes the risk.

[531colin]

In my opinion and I could be wrong, it doesnt matter directly how many spacers you have under the stem. If the handlebars are in the same place, the lever effect will be the same and that is what causes the risk.

I think CJ said that in an earlier thread, so its probably right!

[horizon]

The steerer tube to me is fairly sacrosanct. It basically allows you to change the height of the bars. Whether that is for your own sake or for another user doesn't matter. Once the steerer is cut you are into all sorts of stem raisers and other jiggery pokery or, of course, new forks. If there are aesthetic reasons for cutting the steerer then we are in the same territory as binding the feet of Chinese girls - a useless practice for the benefit of other people.

But having said all that, there is another reason, if I am right, to retain as much steerer tube as possible. On crowded handlebars with numerous accessories, a steerer-mounted lighting bar IMV is ideal. And I don't see why you shouldn't extend the idea to other accessories too. A lighting bar solves the problem of mounting a bar bag with lights and AFAIK there are now other items that will fit directly on the steerer tube - if it hasn't been cut.

Just my thoughts - happy to be corrected if I have this wrong.

[niggle]

In my opinion and I could be wrong, it doesnt matter directly how many spacers you have under the stem. If the handlebars are in the same place, the lever effect will be the same and that is what causes the risk.

I think CJ said that in an earlier thread, so its probably right!

I also remember this being said previously, and it made sense to me at the time.

[niggle]

The steerer tube to me is fairly sacrosanct. It basically allows you to change the height of the bars. Whether that is for your own sake or for another user doesn't matter. Once the steerer is cut you are into all sorts of stem raisers and other jiggery pokery or, of course, new forks. If there are aesthetic reasons for cutting the steerer then we are in the same territory as binding the feet of Chinese girls - a useless practice for the benefit of other people.

Very good point IMO

[MartinC]

The steerer tube to me is fairly sacrosanct.......................................

Yes, I think I know what you're saying. But....................

Off the peg forks are made with a steerer tube long enough to fit in the head tube of a frame of any (normalish) size - 300mm is common. So if you've got a small or medium frame then unless someone's cut the steerer down you'lll have a hell of a lot of steerer above the stem. If your bike came ready made someone will already have done this. If you're building it yourself you'll have to choose how much you leave.

It's definitely wise to leave some scope for future adjustment. But I don't like the idea of riding around with an inch or two of steerer above the stem to catch me somewhere nasty if I go over the bars - so I'm not going to leave too much, maybe 15mm tops. You've got some choice over this if the stem angle doesnt compensate exactly for the steering angle (as with a 17deg stem and a 73 deg head tube) by choosing which way up you flip the stem. You can have the same height bars with a differing spacer stack under the stem.

As to the angle stem versus spacers question. Yes the moment at the top of the head tube is the same whichever way you've flipped the stem but the flex in the longer steerer tube will be more. All other things being equal I'd prefer less flex but YMMV. With a steel steerer I'm quite relaxed, not so much with aluminium or carbon. With a 1" aluminium one I'd be worried all the time.

[horizon]

The steerer tube to me is fairly sacrosanct.......................................

Yes, I think I know what you're saying. But....................

Off the peg forks are made with a steerer tube long enough to fit in the head tube of a frame of any (normalish) size - 300mm is common. So if you've got a small or medium frame then unless someone's cut the steerer down you'lll have a hell of a lot of steerer above the stem. If your bike came ready made someone will already have done this. If you're building it yourself you'll have to choose how much you leave.

I was assuming the main cut had been done so this would be a further, and in the case of the OP, an unnecessary cut. Generally I find steerers cut too short (I don't even think about carbon steerers ) so that's my starting point.

So are there two issues against a long steerer - fear of flex/breakage and steerer causing injury? I take your point on either, though like I said, at the moment the problem is that steerers are generally cut quite short.