Stem length dilemma…

I’m toying with fitting a shorter stem to the Pitch for the Alps in the Summer to move my weight back a bit and make it easier to lift the front. The standard stem is listed as 75mm, 8 degree rise, and was thinking of getting a 55/60mm with a similar rise. I’ve put 20mm shorter stems on previous bikes and been happy with the results. Seems logical.
But I’ve just seen Merlin are doing Truvative bar/stem combos for silly money (Basically same/less cash as just a stem from CRC) and I’ve also been toying with trying a wider bar too: The bars are 20mm wider than the standard bars. So that sounds great….
BUT the stems are only 40mm! Eeeek! And 0 degree rise,(But I think the bars are higher rise which might cancel that out: Spesh bars listed as ‘mid-rise’, Truvative as 35mm which is hard to compare though)
Am I going to find that stem waaaaay to short d’ya reckon? Whaddya think? Give it a shot and roll the bars foreward a tad more? Or just get the longer stem from CRC?
Hmmmmmmmmmm…..

I bought that bars/stem package from Merlin, the stem was too short and I ended up buying a 60mm stem from CRC.

Learn from my mistake!

Fair point
What did your bike have on for a start?

It’s a Giant (Reign) so it came with a longish stem – 90mm.

Although the bike was very well balanced, it felt a bit too XC – and I changed just the stem to 40mm and rode it with my normal 660mm bars.

That made the steering way too quick, shortened the cockpit uncomfortably and made pedalling quite awkward.

The 60mm stem I have now is a much happier compromise, has moved my weight back a bit, sharpened the steering a tad, but I still have room to move about on the bike and it climbs without the front wheel lifting noticeably.

Go for it. I’ve put that same 40mm Truvativ on both my bikes and it feels mint. Quickens the handling/steering to compensate for slackish head angles on my Patriot and SubZero (which both came with 60mm fitted). For descending here and in the Alps it’s perfect.

So, we have a devided opinion then?
😉