Stiff stem?

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mythical
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:49 am
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by mythical

Sir Ride-a-Lot wrote:I like stiff stems and I can not lie! You other riders can't deny! (From Baby Got Bike)
All joking aside, I like stiff stems because it increases my confidence in my bike, especially in sketchy situations that require full control and immediate changes of direction. Sprinting is more or less the same, except it's the bike that moves (mostly) in a straight path to try and propel it forward as fast as possible under a rider's power output. Pulling the bars and pushing the pedals are the most effective way for most.

Deflection in certain bike parts is undesirable (not negating compliance).

Thing is, I also like light stems (who doesn’t?!) that typically are not so stiff. Usually, I preferred to settle for the heavier, stiffer one.

A while ago, I tried designing my own stem with the aim to rival both the stiffest in stiffness and the lightest in weight. At first, I thought it was impossible and now it developed into a product for release onto the market. That's the final hurdle in my attempt to end the debate about stiffer or lighter stems.
“I always find it amazing that a material can actually sell a product when it’s really the engineering that creates and dictates how well that material will behave or perform.” — Chuck Teixeira

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djconnel
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by djconnel

There's no reason to assume energy going into flex doesn't end up in propulsion , which is the most obvious place for it if the arms are connected to the legs. But this is about confidence and generating more power, as has been described. Not an issue for me since I'm small and weak.

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spatz
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:45 am

by spatz

When I sprint my flexy stem heats up to the point it is warm to the touch, so many wasted watts .... ;)

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