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I have a conundrum!
I like a stretched out feel on my bike. I have a new bike a yeti asr5 which feels just a tad short.
To get the stretch i like i have the saddle as far back on the rails as possible which just about works but puts me too far over the back of the bike imo and affects the handling of the bike, specifically when climbing the steep stuff and possibly the effectiveness of the shock more generally - though not sure on this last point - just a hunch.
Would there be any significant down side to fitting a 100 mm stem thus allowing me to move the saddle forward to poition me more over the centre of the bike while retainng the extra stretch i like.
I do a mixture of long rides but equally do a lot of rooty technical single track, most of the time the wheels stay on the ground.
DC
The stem lenght is 70 mm which i have been told is a good stem length to have.
How wide are your bars? How tall are you?
why do you like a stretched out feel on a 5" travel full suspension mountainbike?
Um, I know this is controversial, but why not put a longer stem on?
🙄
Nothing wrong with 100mm. Plenty of cheap stems around, give it a go, see what happens.
Would there be any significant down side to fitting a 100 mm stem
It will look lame. And it may make technical descents a bit more sketchy depending on how "skill" you are. But, if it makes your bike more comfy, you just have to decide what's more important to you.
Current fashion is for shorter stems. The right length is the one that works for you. I ride 90mm because it feels right for me, I started riding when 130mm was the norm for XC and my first 90mm stem was marketed as a DH stem.
Ignore fashion, laughablely regular MBR/What Bike ranting and try a longer stem.
[i]It will look lame
Current fashion is for shorter stems[/i]
..and there you have it.
Putting the saddle back to lengthen the cockpit is not ideal, you should use it only to get the correct relationship between legs and pedals
Then change the stem to suit or buy a bigger frame
Go for whatever you're comfortable with as far as stem length goes Nick, no point in feeling cramped. I also think dropping your Talas forks from 140mm to 120mm would make a big difference on the climbs, and may be better elsewhere too as it's the travel the bike was designed for. The slack angle from running the longer fork travel may also be responsible for you feeling you're too far back over the rear wheel. Give 120mm a go up front, it's all you need for our local trails.
100 mm stem now on, as is the fizik gobi and the forks are now at 120 rather than 140.
Bike now much better - just how i like it.
ASR5 didn't really work for me at 140 up front - bike wasnt balanced and didnt handle the super steep climbs in stanmer well at all - very light up front.
DC
Try it. I think mine's 90 on a L old Heckler.
Of course there'll always be some clown to tell you what works for you is wrong.
Oops...you did!