Xtra-Short Threadless Stem for Xtra-Small Road Bike

[Eurastus]

You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.

I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I got last week. We ended
up finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great price. The bike fits her legs perfectly;
extension is right-on.

However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit that
is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding extra-short
threadless road stems. By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm. The fork is
1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to work fine. The shim use
should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike downhill stems as short
as I'd like...though they seem very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and have the 25.4 mm
clamp. The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to www.ritcheylogic.com) though my
electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.

Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to keep this to a reasonable
price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out of the extra-short stem in a couple of years. I
have no doubt the 90 will go back on eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to
25.4 that I can use a mountain stem if I have to.

Any leads appreciated,

Eurastus.

 

[Dave Palmer]

If you look around a little, you can find some drop bars that have 25.4 mm center sections. There
are Nitto's, and some Trek bars, to name a couple. Good luck. Dave

"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>
> I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I
got
> last week. We ended up finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great
price.
> The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is right-on.
>
> However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit
> that is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
> extra-short threadless road
stems.
> By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm. The fork
is
> 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to
work
> fine. The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike
> downhill stems as short as I'd like...though they
seem
> very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and have the 25.4 mm
clamp.
> The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
www.ritcheylogic.com)
> though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>
> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to
keep
> this to a reasonable price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out
of the
> extra-short stem in a couple of years. I have no doubt the 90 will go
back on
> eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to 25.4 that I
can
> use a mountain stem if I have to.
>
> Any leads appreciated,
>
> Eurastus.

 

[David]

"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there?

Would an adjustable tandem stoker stem work?

David

 

[Eurastus]

Interesting thought...I don't think they are short enough, though I am by no means a tandem expert.
Also, would they have the proper 1" or 1 1/8" fork clamp diameter? I don't think so...

Good idea, though...

"David" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there?
>
>Would an adjustable tandem stoker stem work?
>
>David

 

[bobqzzi]

If you're not using some sort of ultra light handle bar, I'd just use use the mountain stem. I do,
and i weigh 230lbs.

Bob

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 11:41:22 -0600, Eurastus <[email protected]> wrote:

>You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>
>I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I got last week. We ended up
>finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great price. The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is
>right-on.
>
>However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit that
>is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
>extra-short threadless road stems. By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm.
>The fork is 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to work fine.
>The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike downhill
>stems as short as I'd like...though they seem very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and
>have the 25.4 mm clamp. The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
>www.ritcheylogic.com) though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>
>Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to keep this to a reasonable
>price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out of the extra-short stem in a couple of years. I
>have no doubt the 90 will go back on eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to
>25.4 that I can use a mountain stem if I have to.
>
>Any leads appreciated,
>
>Eurastus.

 

[Pete Grey]

I had a similar problem with a MTB I was setting up for my wife. I got a stem on EBay, I think it's
a 60, beefy downhill unit, for $25.

-pete

"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>
> I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I
got
> last week. We ended up finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great
price.
> The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is right-on.
>
> However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit
> that is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
> extra-short threadless road
stems.
> By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm. The fork
is
> 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to
work
> fine. The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike
> downhill stems as short as I'd like...though they
seem
> very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and have the 25.4 mm
clamp.
> The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
www.ritcheylogic.com)
> though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>
> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to
keep
> this to a reasonable price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out
of the
> extra-short stem in a couple of years. I have no doubt the 90 will go
back on
> eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to 25.4 that I
can
> use a mountain stem if I have to.
>
> Any leads appreciated,
>
> Eurastus.

 

[Kinkycowboy]

On Thu, 13 Mar 2003 11:41:22 -0600, Eurastus <[email protected]> wrote:

>You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>
>I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I got last week. We ended up
>finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great price. The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is
>right-on.
>
>However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit that
>is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
>extra-short threadless road stems. By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm.
>The fork is 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to work fine.
>The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike downhill
>stems as short as I'd like...though they seem very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and
>have the 25.4 mm clamp. The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
>www.ritcheylogic.com) though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>
>Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to keep this to a reasonable
>price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out of the extra-short stem in a couple of years. I
>have no doubt the 90 will go back on eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to
>25.4 that I can use a mountain stem if I have to.
>
>Any leads appreciated,
>
>Eurastus.

3TTT "The" stem is available in 50mm, 1" or 1.125" (I think they just use a shim for 1") for 26.0mm
bars, should work with your 25.8s, and it's only £16GBP or about $25USD

Kinky Cowboy

*Your milage may vary Batteries not included May contain traces of nuts.

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

The shortest readily-available threadless road stems I know of are from QBP (one of the larger
suppliers to the bike shops) and measure just under 6cm. At one time TREK made Icon stems, with a 1"
diameter, that came in a true 5cm length... but those are going to be pretty tough to find. Please
stay with the correct stem/bar diameter, for safety's sake. It's not just the stem that can fail,
but more likely the bolts. Either way it's something to be avoided.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReaction.com

"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>
> I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I
got
> last week. We ended up finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great
price.
> The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is right-on.
>
> However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit
> that is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
> extra-short threadless road
stems.
> By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm. The fork
is
> 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to
work
> fine. The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike
> downhill stems as short as I'd like...though they
seem
> very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and have the 25.4 mm
clamp.
> The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
www.ritcheylogic.com)
> though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>
> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to
keep
> this to a reasonable price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out
of the
> extra-short stem in a couple of years. I have no doubt the 90 will go
back on
> eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to 25.4 that I
can
> use a mountain stem if I have to.
>
> Any leads appreciated,
>
> Eurastus.

 

[A Muzi]

"David" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there?
>
> Would an adjustable tandem stoker stem work?

At the smallest extension setting, those are pretty long

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Bluto]

Eurastus <[email protected]> wrote:

> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to keep this to a reasonable
> price...

I have seen threadless stems for road bikes in the 50mm range-- Thomson makes one, for instance,
though it's pricey. MTB stems intended for downhill bikes run as short as 0mm; that is, bars
mounted atop the steer tube clamp. I'm sure your LBS could offer you a range of choices, even for a
tight budget.

A couple of examples from Sheldon Brown's website:

http://harriscyclery.net/site/page.cfm?PageID=49&ID=17450
http://harriscyclery.net/site/page.cfm?PageID=49&ID=7819

Chalo Colina

 

[Pete Biggs]

Eurastus wrote:
> However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit
> that is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
> extra-short threadless road stems. By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60
> mm. The fork is 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to work
> fine. The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike
> downhill stems as short as I'd like...though they seem very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like
> $99), and have the 25.4 mm clamp. The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
> www.ritcheylogic.com) though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.

The fully adjustable Look ErgoStem is even more beefy and expensive but it will provide the required
position - and positions required in future, so the price can be justified. Its 26.0 clamp works
with 25.8 bars. It is very heavy but the weight difference between it and a lightweight stem is only
equivalent to about what a battery lamp weighs - and everyone can manage one of those on the bars. I
don't know if this stem is best solution but I believe it would be A solution.
www.lookcycle.com/english/catalogue/2003/accessoires.htm

Also, which model Ritchey bars? If anything like average, then 3TTT Morphe or Terry bars would help
a lot and I strongly suggest getting some. Such a short stem wouldn't then be required because these
bars provide a shorter reach to hoods and drops, and the Morphe has slightly swept back tops.

~PB

 

[Eurastus]

I stopped by the LBS (happened to be the local TREK dealer) on the way home from work yesterday.
Hanging on the peg-board above the work-bench, they had a 1", 90 degree, dark grey, threadless, road
stem with an unusual top-hinged, single bolt, removable faceplate. At the time I didn't really
notice the name on the side, but I believe it might be this elusive Icon mentioned below. It's
length was slightly less than another 60 mm mountain stem I compared it to. I'm guessing 55 mm (I'll
measure it with calipers tonight to make sure). They wanted $20 for it, so I jumped at the chance
and took it home. We slapped it on my girl's bike and it worked like a charm. The clamp appeared to
fit the Ritchey bar just right; it's obviously not a mountain stem. Maybe I lucked out here. It
certainly doesn't look a nice as the Ritchey comp stem it replaced, but the price was right and
it'll do until I find something better or until my daughter grows into the Ritchey.

Thanks for all your help,

Eurastus.

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>The shortest readily-available threadless road stems I know of are from QBP (one of the larger
>suppliers to the bike shops) and measure just under 6cm. At one time TREK made Icon stems, with a
>1" diameter, that came in a true 5cm length... but those are going to be pretty tough to find.
>Please stay with the correct stem/bar diameter, for safety's sake. It's not just the stem that can
>fail, but more likely the bolts. Either way it's something to be avoided.
>
>--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReaction.com
>
>"Eurastus" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> You guys have been quite helpful to me over the past few weeks.
>>
>> I appreciate all the info on the extra-small road bike for my daughter I
>got
>> last week. We ended up finding a great little 44 cm Fuji for a great
>price.
>> The bike fits her legs perfectly; extension is right-on.
>>
>> However, the bike came with a 90 mm Ritchey Comp threadless stem and that results in a cockpit
>> that is several inches too long. I'd like to get a shorter stem but have not had luck finding
>> extra-short threadless road
>stems.
>> By extra short, I mean 35-50 mm. I have been able to find 60 mm. The fork
>is
>> 1" but the stem the bike came with is a 1 1/8" that uses a shim...seems to
>work
>> fine. The shim use should give me more options to choose from. I've seen several mountain bike
>> downhill stems as short as I'd like...though they
>seem
>> very beefy (means heavy), expensive (like $99), and have the 25.4 mm
>clamp.
>> The Ritchey bars on this bike are 25.8 mm (according to
>www.ritcheylogic.com)
>> though my electronic micrometer measures them at 25.7 mm.
>>
>> Any leads on an extra-short, road-specific stem out there? I'd like to
>keep
>> this to a reasonable price...like less than $40 as I see her growing out
>of the
>> extra-short stem in a couple of years. I have no doubt the 90 will go
>back on
>> eventually. I strongly suspect that 25.7 is close enough to 25.4 that I
>can
>> use a mountain stem if I have to.
>>
>> Any leads appreciated,
>>
>> Eurastus.
>