Stem Lengths - Actual Or Effective?



cloozoe

New Member
May 11, 2015
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Hi,

New guy here. Have a hybrid with a top tube that's about 30mm too long for me (due to the vagaries of my specific proportions, fits well in other regards). Want to put a new stem on to shorten reach, but while I'm at it want to raise the bars by going from a + 6d rise to +17.

Question:

The actual length of my stem is 110mm, and since the rise is only 6d, the effective length is only a hair shorter. With the 17, though, there would be a more significant difference between the actual length and the reach (reach less than length).

Do manufacturers measure their stems by actual length or effective length? If the former, I'd get a 90; if the latter I'd get an 80.

Thanks!