Does anyone still run a "long" stem on their mountain bike?

Say longer than 80mm?

The trend for short stems would suggest that few do

yes but i got some funny salsa bars that remove about 20mm…

I've got a 120, 15 degree quill stem on my malt 1 frame? Why?

100mm Thomson on my SC Chameleon.

110 on my scott

90mm on my chameleon. i quite like a longish stem, if everything else is the same (i.e. reach) it means the wheelbase is shorter.

yup. 90mm is the shortest stem i've got on anything (except the bmx).

got a 140mm thomson in the shed if anyone wants it? form an orderly queue now…

110 on one bike, want to swap for a longer TT and a shorter one though. Other bike is 90mm. Both are full-on XC race steeds.

110 on my Intense – top tube isn't quite as long as the factory spec said it was 🙂

90mm here, keep meaning to try a shorter stem but worry it will make my bike feel too small.

100mm on my Epic

100mm on the DBR
110mm on the Iron Horse MkIII (std)
120mm on the salsa
I got an 80mm on the DMR, but haven't had a chance to use it in anger yet.
Really don't have a problem with them.

90mm is perfect for my Cham, wouldn't want anything shorter on it

hardly a trend, haven't had above 60mm since 1994

90mm on both.

It would seem I'm winning so far with 135 🙂

I'd suggest the sign of things having changed is the idea that 90mm is a long stem!

100mm on most, 90 on the single speed i think.
Feels fine with 100mm on the Orange 5

The 135 on my old Marin feels spot on, with the short rigid fork.
And the 100mm on my Sunn Exact feels right too, with the 100mm travel fork. Gotta match stem length to fork travel and front end geometry, innit!

Mostly run 90 or 100mm on my bikes although currently have a 80mm on the PA.

90mm here. Tried 70mm – it was too short and twitchy and put me too far over the bars.

120 with H-bars on my plastic Anthem

Shorter stem put you too far over the bars Scienceofficer?

Nothing less than 90mm, nothing longer than 120mm.

110mm on my on one
120mm on my Scale 30
115mm on my Scale 40
110mm on my Voodoo

Yeah I don't see how a shorter stem puts you too far over the bars?

40mm here 🙂

I've decided 85 mm * 10 degrees is perfect for me but theres only 1 stem in this size

90mm seems about right on my 100mm forked soul, and rigid forked love hate

– a shorter stem would I think speed up the steering, and the steering is plenty fast enough at the mo

i've got a 70mm on my heckler – but that has pikes and big wide bars

70mm on the 6-pack
70mm on the pace 305. Tried 90mm on it first but it felt like a barge.
90mm on the Tricross, does that count?

I think I started using shorter stems back in '98 when I bought a large Uzzi SL so I could get the reach I wanted with a 70mm stem. Cracking bike to ride (quite literally, went with quite a bang)

changes weight distribution doesn't it.

changes weight distribution doesn't it.

I think grumm means if your going down somthing steep a longer stem will make it harder to hang off the back of the saddle. I think you mean a shorter stem makes it feel like the bars are at your knees? (im 6ft+ and i know what you mean!)

I run 120mm on both my XC bikes (they are the same length) and 130mm on my road bike. Good for even weight distribution (ive got long legs so my saddle is quite far back) and handling is fine, even on fast twisty singletrack.

I had a 120mm stem (flipped to give -6 degrees rise) on my old on-one and secretly loved it 🙂

(not allowed one that long on the new bike, apparently it's been designed to do away with long stems, so the old girder is looking a bit forlorn on top of the fridge)

Usually over 80, but anything from 70mm to 120mm; given how easy it is to swap a stem, might put a 110mm for comfort on a long ride, or a short one for a bit more control when playing in the woods.

changes weight distribution doesn't it.

Yup but a longer stem is going to bring your weight forwards on the bike – 'over the bars'

It's only the mags that have decided anything over 70mm is "long".

90mm – the bike climbs perfectly, so no way I'm going to compromise that by using a shorter stem.

I've just gone shorter, to 90mm.

I have a 140mm!

But it's on my road bike though I do still have a lovely Syncros 140mm mtb stem which I used for about 5 years but then I'm tall and ride big bikes so it's not so out of proportion.

Anyway, over 80mm is not long. 80mm is short!

Most of my mtbs have 100 or 110mm stems. One has a 90mm one but it's got a very long top tube so the shorter stem provides the same reach.

Don't follow fashion for ultra wide bars and short stems – use what's right for you and the riding you do!

Is it just me or is it nearly impossible to find a decent 80mm stem?! Most stems come 50, 60, 70, 90, 100…

100mm on my race mtb, singlespeed, road bike, commuter and hack. 70mm on my 5-spot, but I've run the 5-spot at 100mm too and the difference is hardly stratospheric.

Bloody dumb magazines! 90mm is not long. 69deg head is not steep. They are obsessed with getting bikes and then setting them up and riding them in a way they weren't designed for! They slap on a silly short stem, and then grumble that the steering is too fast, therefore the head angle is not slack enough.

My bike came with a 90mm stem and "normal" geometry – surprise surprise it handles really neutrally and nicely. Just like it was designed to do.

Kit, I think I saw a Thomson X4 listed on CRC the other day at 80mm. Didn't think I'd seen one of those before. Was tempted to get if for the OH as she runs and 80 (plus I'd like to try it on my bike first).