Stem and bars setup

[DYAKOV]

I’ve been riding the “new geometry” bikes for the past 2-3 years and I still can’t get used to the geometry (more so on my 20”). I’ve tried a few different stem/bars combos including the following:

clean pro stem 142x27 paired with trialtech high rise bars then clean high rise bars

clean pro stem 164x27 paired with clean high rise bars

clean forged 165x25 paired with clean high rise bars

crewkerz 145x20 paired with crewkerz high rise bars

tms 180x35 stem with jitsie 110 rise bars

And none of these feel natural to me. I had a similar experience on my 26” until I tried comas 130x20 stem paired with clean low rise bars and instantly it felt so natural… Since I discovered that setup I’ve run it on 3 different frames and it never disappoints which leads me to the thought that despite variations in the frame geo a good front end setup will ultimately feel comfortable. Wish I could find a similar setup for my 20” but I don’t really know the “rule of thumb” when it comes to front end geometry, so it’s always a matter of trial and error. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I assume I can’t just run a 150x30 stem with mid rise bars as I would have done back in the day because the frame geometry of my maestro has nothing to do with frames from 10 years ago.

Basically, my 26” feels a lot more stable and I feel like the centre of gravity is further back over the rear axle making it almost effortless to stay on a back wheel with my body straight up. Whereas my 20” feels like it’s pulling me forwards, so staying on rear wheel means slouching over the front and a constant effort to keep the bike up (think that’s probably more to do with the high bb). Not to mention that turning the bars forward feels disgusting on my wrists but with that amount of rise I can’t really have them pointing up unless I want that maestro to look like a bmx….

Any tips?

Cheers,

Nas

Edited June 13, 2023 by DYAKOV

[Canardweb]

Well these are only my two cents but I think you should take into account that although the geometry have changed, the riding and techniques also have. That means that something confortable may not be the best for nowadays' type of riding. You will finally get used to it but it will change the way you ride your bike. You may end up liking it also!

For example on my Crewkerz Jealousy mod, I rode my 145*20 stem with the 108 rise Crewkerz carbon bars. It took me a long time to get used to it as it was more difficult to make some bunny hops and such without pedalling but I ended up changing techniques on certain obstacles as it was more natural for moves to the back wheel for instance. Same for my current stock Crewkerz Cleep 2. I ride a WAW Ultimate 155*20 stem with 102 rise Crewkerz carbon bars. I am currently struggling to get my stock techniques back (although that's because I haven't ridden stock for 9 years and trials in general for a year). But I find it much more easy to get onto the rear wheel or to guide my front wheel somewhere once it's up in the air.

My advice would be to choose between seeing your riding change for new techniques and new sensations on the bike or keep having fun and keep your current setup. You could also try something you are confident with and give it some time to finally feel at home. In my experience, swapping parts too often feels really nice at the start but starts to make all your usual riding habits kind of weird in the short run...

Hope it helps.

[Jordi]

From the campmajo bikes website:

Possibility to add a custom stem extender to find the exact handlebar position (additional cost)
 Although I can't find any pictures, maybe this would help?

[Canardweb]

1 hour ago, Jordi said:

From the campmajo bikes website:

Possibility to add a custom stem extender to find the exact handlebar position (additional cost)
 Although I can't find any pictures, maybe this would help?

Check Sergi Llongueras 's bike from that brand. He used that stem extender for a while. I don't know if the genuine stem manufacturer guaranty will get you covered when using it though. Might be worth checking.