MOUNTAIN BIKE GEOMETRY CALCULATOR HOW TO

In some cases that extra width comes with added weight as well, so it’s worth considering the potential tradeoff. The key benefit to a wider clamp is that it provides greater stiffness and durability. While the trends seem to change every few years, there really are just two choices when it comes down to picking a clamp diameter for modern mountain bikes.ģ5 mm clamps seem to be the most common width that modern bikes come with nowadays, but 31.5 mm clamps are very popular as well. Mountain bike stem criteria #3 – Clamp diameter Cross-country riders usually prefer a drop (lowering) anywhere between 0 and 30 degrees.Trail and enduro riders fall between 0 and 6 degrees of rise, leaning more towards the longer end of that range.Downhill riders usually prefer that their handlebars are not raised or elevated at all.Much like stem length, the amount of rise is usually correlated to the style of riding. For short stems, the angle is less of a concern because it has so little distance to travel upwards (rise) or downwards (drop).įor longer stems, it’s more of a factor because of the additional distance it has to shift the handlebars up or down. Rise refers to the angle that the stem makes relative to the fork steerer tube. Mountain bike stem criteria #2 – Stem rise This places you in a better pedaling position and makes for more efficient seated climbing.įor this reason, cross-country riders trend towards longer stems in the 80 mm – 120 mm range.

Longer stems pull your body forward and shift more weight onto the front wheel. Many downhillers enjoy stems in the 40 mm – 50 mm range, whereas trail and enduro riders go a little bit longer with 50 mm – 80 mm stems. This is ideal for downhill, trail, and enduro riders as it allows them to have more responsive handling during descents.Ī shorter stem length also shifts your weight slightly backward and helps prevent you from dumping over the handlebars.

Shorter stems allow a rider to more quickly turn the wheel, enhancing the bike’s handling characteristics and feel. Stem length is one of the most critical factors controlling how your bike handles!

MOUNTAIN BIKE GEOMETRY CALCULATOR HOW TO

While stem length is probably the most critical factor in selecting a new stem, there are also other factors that you should consider such as stem rise, clamp diameter, material, and design.Īll of these choices should be considered when optimizing for your preferred riding style! How to pick the right mountain bike stem Mountain bike stem criteria #1 – Stem length Shorter stems allow for quicker handling and are preferred by many downhill riders, whereas cross-country riders enjoy longer stems for their superior climbing performance. The best average stem length for modern mountain bikes falls between 50 mm and 80 mm. Is there a general stem that works well for everyone, or do I need to pick one based on my preferred terrain and riding style? I need to see a diagram.Walking through the bike shop the other day it amazed me how many choices there are, particularly when it comes to selecting the right mountain bike stem length. I just can't tell from them if the Pivot will seem cramped or not compared to the other 2 from the numbers. Here are the geometry numbers I came up with. Supposedly a super nice bike and I found a used one that I really like the price on. I just didn't like the cramped feeling on the Kona especially when decending. I am really liking the Pivot 429SL from reviews that I have read though and would really like to see how that one compares but we don't have a pivot dealer so I'd be buying blind which is not good. The Yeti does have more travel though so I don't think that's to fair. I have ridden the Kona Process 153 and the Yeti 5.5 and the Kona seemed really small in the cockpit and cramped compared to the Yeti 5.5 and not near as plush. I ride an XL because I'm 6'4 and 250lbs but would love to compare the 3. All bike have different geometry and I'd like to somehow put all 3 bikes on a page with them overlapping each other with maybe like a different color for each bike to see how the different geometry looks. A Kona Process 153, a Yeti SB5.5 and a Pivot Mach 429SL.

Mountain bike geometry calculator