[Closed] Wider bars/shorter stem on a road bike

Get a hybrid or a city bike.

not having the funds to just buy another bike, i shortened my stem (100mm to 80mm) and went from 42 (or 44?) cm bars to 46.
great change and no issues to report.
more comfy for sure.

Road bikes are more about stability and minimal wind resistance at speed in mostly straight lines, so there's really no point to what you suggest. If you want moeuverability you're probably better off with a flat barred sports hybrid.

I put wider bars and a shorter stem on mine, wider bars worked, in fact I would like to go wider still (but they don't make them any wider). But I found a shorter stem gives less control and stability when descending.

Whatever works for you. But do you feel your lacking Control, are you uncomfortable ? Shorter stem wider bars might make the bike feel twitchy and even less controllable.

Fatter tyres would help you feel more controlled and comfortable if there's clearance for bigger..

someone in a bike shop told me that you need a decent length stem to keep your weight over the front wheel. You're not going to be stood up cornering, able to put your weight where you want it like you would on a mountainbike, so if you shorten the stem too much, you take weight off the front and reduce front wheel grip.

Any comments on that? Sounds reasonable to me.

why do MTB'ers insist on applying MTB sensibilities to road bikes?
if you want an upright nodder hybrid then buy one or fit flat bars and a basket while you are at it. 🙄
what works for a mtb doesn't always apply to the road.
long stems on a proper fitting road bike means better weight distribution and handling, half the time when people complain of 'nervous handling it's because they are so upright there is no weight over the front wheel, get some flexibility and core strength!
you don't move the bars on a road bike as much as a mtb as the speeds are higher, are you cycling that slowly?

so if you shorten the stem too much, you take weight off the front

Not if you fit a wider bar at the same time.

Shorter stem wider bars might make the bike feel twitchy and even less controllable.

That's interesting, and the reverse of what I might've expected.

Finding the bike a bit nervous; bars are (I think) slightly too narrow anyway (isn't there some rule of thumb with drops that they should be about the same width as your shoulders?) which might explain matters, while the existing stem doesn't [i]feel[/i] too long.

Not if you fit a wider bar at the same time.

I dunno why you'd want to though. I'm not particularly narrow shouldered and I have 42cm bars. These feel ok, although when riding in a straight line down the main rode, I often lean my forarms on the tops or have my hands on the inside of the hoods else it feels too "unaerodynamic". with 46cm bars, you'd feel like a sail.

Also, out of the sadle climbing, a short stem feels awful as your hands feel too close and your knees can hit the bars.

If you're used to mtb bars a road bike will tend to feel twitchy even if set up 'correctly'.

tbh, like most things if you find something that works for you then stick with it. I have the stem on my road bike set up with a slight rise.

Finding the bike a bit nervous; bars are (I think) slightly too narrow anyway (isn't there some rule of thumb with drops that they should be about the same width as your shoulders?)

Yeh, thatr rule of thumb sounds about right. Although it's more to do with comfort rather than handling.

Get your stem slammed and fit a longer one, that should balance it out.

I'm guessing you're new to road riding.

You don't really try to adjust road bike handling via stem length like you do with mtbs - it's really for adjusting your position - especially as you tend to steer road bikes much less than mtbs - you just lean them into corners most of the time.

And as above, a shorter stem may actually make it worse if you are finding it too twitchy though a wider bar may counter that a bit (at the expense of aero drag) but bear in mind that you don't actually get any really wide road bars. Bars typically come from 40-44cm widths (42-46 for the brands that measure outside-outside) so unless you're on a 40cm bar, you're not going to be able to get a big change via bar width anyway.

I'm guessing you're new to road riding.

Oddly enough, no. I was a road biker before I did much MTBing.

I suspect a lot of the issue is confidence (knocked off twice in fairly short order, one of which was a bike-destroying crash) so the bike suddenly feels a lot twitchier.

Dammit, I can't edit my post now 🙂

I sounds like the bike really isn't the issue. I'd suggest fatter tyres at a lower pressure - that may add just enough stability to calm your nerves.

Or possibly raising the front for the moment until you get your nerve back - it may actually make the steering lighter (less weight on the front) but the more upright position is more confidence inspiring for most so it may well offset that.

MrSmith - Member

why do MTB'ers insist on applying MTB sensibilities to road bikes?
if you want an upright nodder hybrid then buy one or fit flat bars and a basket while you are at it.

Because they're not all a bunch of unpleasant, unhelpful, self centred, anally retentive unimaginative tossers?

#bangtorights

Because they're not all a bunch of unpleasant, unhelpful, self centred, anally retentive unimaginative tossers?

I suspect a lot of the issue is confidence

I know that i wasn't supposed to do this but i changed to a 70mm,from a 110, stem and wider bars on my road bike.
I haven't careered downhill or around bends out of control,in fact the steering feels more precise.
I don't do racing or time trialing so aerodynamics are secondary compared to comfort.
No more back,shoulder or arm ache.
A good quality pair of tyres does inspire a bit more confidence as well though.

something i was reading, 25mm tyres steer slower than 23mm due to the shape of the contact patch.

I know that i wasn't supposed to do this but i changed to a 70mm,from a 110, stem and wider bars on my road bike.
I haven't careered downhill or around bends out of control,in fact the steering feels more precise.
I don't do racing or time trialing so aerodynamics are secondary compared to comfort.
No more back,shoulder or

I went from a 120mm stem with 400mm deep drops to 60mm stem with 440mm compact drops, that was~3 years ago and made the bike comfortable for an MTBist new to road bikes, then a couple of months ago I adjusted that setup by fitting an 80mm stem and flipping it.

With time spent on the bike I think I have gained a bit more flexibility, and the bike needed to change again, the stock position just didn't suit my mountain bikers physique, it can always be adjusted, and over time your body will adapt and a bit of readjustment is acceptable IMO. We're not all natural born racing snakes...