Advice - reversal of stem

[John B]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote:

> "David Brown )" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > Just out of curiousity, why would anyone want disk brakes?
>
> Because they work better Of course for the full effect you also need a low centre of gravity
> and minimal wind resistance, so you can go downhill at Ludicrous Speeds and give the discs a
> workout...

You missed out "and three wheels" ;-)

John B

 

[Eatmorepies]

> > I find my Magura hydraulic rim brakes to be wheel stopping good at all times, although stopping
> > the front wheel of a SWB bent at 40 mph is an interesting experience to say the least.
>
> I had them for a Long Time, on a Kingcycle. Now I have Hope discs, which are Even Better (tm).
>

Mag rim brakes are good - but on a mtb used in mud they wear the rims out in no time. Discs give the
same power without the associated regular wheel building.

John

 

[Pattledom]

Richard Goodman wrote:
> I am seriously considering buying a new bike - new for me but previously used. It is a beautiful,
> lightweight, custom built bike, a true one-off at a price that is probably worth it just for the
> components alone. But there is one problem. Although standover clearance is fine, it has a very
> long top tube, apparently built for someone with a long upper body in relation to leg length. For
> me, the riding position is really too stretched out. The stem is already as short as it can be. I
> would even consider replacing the frame or seeing if a frame builder could replace top and down
> tubes (its a chro-mo frame) at some point, but I am thinking what if I reversed the stem - as in
> turned it through 180deg, not flipped it, so that the fork is ahead of the handlebars? This would
> bring the bars closer to me but I'm not sure about the effect on handling. I know it would look
> weird, but I don't care about that. I note that recumbents (SWB)generally rely on such a
> configuration, although their geometry is completely different anyway.
>
> Any opinions/experience anyone?
>

It's OK with a very short stem - I even had a one-piece set of bars like this (ie: where the bars a
brazed into the stem). I would imagine that the steering gets increasing awkward as the stem gets
longer. The other problem is the angles: with the stem ponting backwards, it's also going to point
downwards - you probably won't be able to adjust the bars to the corrct height and they might even
foul the top-tube.

--
Andrew Pattle

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 09:14:09 +0100, "Richard Goodman" <[email protected]> wrote:

>what if I reversed the stem - as in turned it through 180deg, not flipped it, so that the fork is
>ahead of the handlebars?

My bars are over a foot behind the stem and the bike is perfectly rideable, but I wouldn't do it in
this case. Either strip the components and sell the frame or buy a bike that fits. Sorry.

Guy
===
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