Hey mtbikers,
I'm building a custom hardtail and wonder what's the right stem length. Would you have any videos to recommend or a guide on how to choose the appropriate size for me?
edit: I have a Surly Karate Monkey with a rigid fork for bike packing. Fork offset is 47mm according to the specs. Both M and L where a fit for me so I went for M.
by Taaanos
3 Comments
Very generally speaking, you’d want the stem length to match the fork offset.
So if your fork is a 44 mm offset ideally you’d want a 45 mm stem.
But you could also run a 40 mm stem, or a 50 mm, depending on your preference for handling characteristics.
Shorter stem = quicker steering, less stable at speed & easier to maneuver in tight twisty stuff.
Longer stem = slower steering, more stable at speed, harder to maneuver in tight twisty situations.
It depends how the frame fits you, go as short as you comfortably can
depends more on the reach of the bike vs the reach of your body imho.
The bike will be fine with a 35 or a 60mm stem, but your body will certainly have a preference for one vs the other.
Unfortunately it may take some trial and error and is a bit complex because the the relationship being a bit complicated with stem length and stack height/handlebar rise.