# Wondering where I can find a particular stem in the SF area...



## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

This thread does seem like it should belong in the Components forum, but I figure the subject is more focused upon a location. This is *not* intended to be a classified listing or advertisement.

I'm looking for a 10-15 degree, 100mm, 1-1/8' steerer clamp, OS stem - hopefully below or around $60. Why not go buy it online or what could be cheaper? Because I like getting a good look at what I'm buying, as well as my luck in getting discounts at shops lately 

I've checked:
-Valencia Cyclery
-Freewheel on Valencia
-Mike's Bikes (website that is)
-Performance (SF and San Bruno)
-Pacific Bicycle's website
-REI.

Mike's Bikes has that mult-angle set Specialized Stem in the price range, but I'm a little itchy (put a "b" before that if you must) about it going on a Giant bicycle - even though a component is a component. 

I might pass by IMINUSD (egad) and Bicycle Express near downtown San Jose this week, so I'll update when done so. As for now, I'd appreciate any ideas to where I can find such a stem before I keep scrambling all over the place.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Go with the Specialized. It's a good stem. It's adjustable. I've got a Specialized saddle on my Cervelo. It's the best saddle for my butt right now. I don't care if there's an S on it.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

That's tricky. Stems seem to be either 7-8 degrees or 17 degrees these days. The adjustable Specialized stem is an option as California L33 says.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

ukbloke said:


> That's tricky. Stems seem to be either 7-8 degrees or 17 degrees these days. The adjustable Specialized stem is an option as California L33 says.


The only tricky thing about the Specialized is that because of its reversible shape you can't run any spacers _above_ the stem.


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

I was in GoRide Bicycles in Redwood City last week and noticed that they had a very big selection of stems.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

*Wait a minute...*



California L33 said:


> The only tricky thing about the Specialized is that because of its reversible shape you can't run any spacers _above_ the stem.


 Does this apply to just that stem? I'm shooting to get more drop actually. 

*And it's not because I'm some igotsmeanextremetrackbikehipster, the bike has a slightly taller headtube.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

ratpick said:


> I was in GoRide Bicycles in Redwood City last week and noticed that they had a very big selection of stems.


Thanks for that, but it's a bit of my perferred area. I do take Caltrain to get to San Jose, but usually it's the bullets that don't pass by Redwood City. In any case, I'll still leave it as an option as changing trains and taking the ~1.5mile walk each way isn't going to kill me for a day.


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## Jimbolaya (Jun 2, 2008)

Try Bicycle Odessey in Sausalito.
They have everything that you can't find anywhere else.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Ventruck said:


> Does this apply to just that stem? I'm shooting to get more drop actually.
> 
> *And it's not because I'm some igotsmeanextremetrackbikehipster, the bike has a slightly taller headtube.


There should be no problem with a normal stem with a centered hole top cap having spacers above the stem, as long as you don't have more spacers than recommended. 

There's a difference of opinion on whether this is do-able with the Specialized. There was a discussion about this over on MTBR a while back. I don't think I'd do it, though-

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=256476


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

California L33 said:


> There should be no problem with a normal stem with a centered hole top cap having spacers above the stem, as long as you don't have more spacers than recommended.
> 
> There's a difference of opinion on whether this is do-able with the Specialized. There was a discussion about this over on MTBR a while back. I don't think I'd do it, though-
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=256476


eh, I don't think I'll do it either if it may call for a never-turn-back steerer cut.


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## kretzel (Aug 1, 2007)

Thomsons come in 10 deg angle. I think Deda Zero100 stems are 12 deg. Much better to find right stem than mess with the Specialized thingy. It's clever but unnecessary.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

I did say I had a $60 budget, but I went to Freewheel again today, and sucked myself into getting a Shimano PRO PLT costing me a bit north of $70 - which ironically I hadn't noticed when I bought PLT round bars two weeks before. But that, plus my strange liking to that ice grey color, and the offered discount, I hardly thought twice. Thanks everyone for the help despite me going back to Freewheel.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

*Guess I should throw in pics...*

If you need some splainin' about the bike and "fitting":

The TCR - which btw was bought used to imply something about the mismatching wheels - is actually one size up. So I got me a mid-compact frame, har!. That explains the shorter-than-usual seatpost height (for that particular bike), and the need for more stem angle (slightly higher headtube)t. I wanted a used bike to comfortably rough up, but eh...the cockpit has become a bit "blingy" with the PRO PLT components; so much for that. Saddle angle is partly due to the condition of today's "packaging", and the next angle available with the saddle clamp is up too much. 

Doing a bit of trigonometry, the horizontal component with this stem compared to the previous 6 degree stem is very minimal (less than 1mm shorter now), and the vertical component is roughly 7mm (otherwise 0.7cm) lower. Does it actually make all the world's difference? For me, culmulatively, it does for the wrists. Rewinding a bit, I bought round bars because I couldn't find any "sweet spot" when in the ergo drops they replaced. I had found a sweet spot with the round PLT bars at a particular angle, but they literally were a tad high. This better-half-of a centimeter did make the difference for me personally. Judge me if you must.


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## IRMB (Jul 15, 2008)

Ventruck said:


> If you need some splainin' about the bike and "fitting":
> 
> The TCR - which btw was bought used to imply something about the mismatching wheels - is actually one size up. So I got me a mid-compact frame, har!. That explains the shorter-than-usual seatpost height (for that particular bike), and the need for more stem angle (slightly higher headtube)t. I wanted a used bike to comfortably rough up, but eh...the cockpit has become a bit "blingy" with the PRO PLT components; so much for that. Saddle angle is partly due to the condition of today's "packaging", and the next angle available with the saddle clamp is up too much.
> 
> Doing a bit of trigonometry, the horizontal component with this stem compared to the previous 6 degree stem is very minimal (less than 1mm shorter now), and the vertical component is roughly 7mm (otherwise 0.7cm) lower. Does it actually make all the world's difference? For me, culmulatively, it does for the wrists. Rewinding a bit, I bought round bars because I couldn't find any "sweet spot" when in the ergo drops they replaced. I had found a sweet spot with the round PLT bars at a particular angle, but they literally were a tad high. This better-half-of a centimeter did make the difference for me personally. Judge me if you must.


Dude - if you need to shorten up the cockpit and can't acheive the appropriate saddle angle with your current post, replace the post. You probably don't need the setback and not having proper angle will make the bike super uncomfortable.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

IRMB said:


> Dude - if you need to shorten up the cockpit and can't acheive the appropriate saddle angle with your current post, replace the post. You probably don't need the setback and not having proper angle will make the bike super uncomfortable.


Like I said, that angle was just a matter of my "packaging" at the moment (as in, feelin' a little sore "down there" ). But yeah, I am looking to getting a seatpost with a 2-bolt seat clamp as this one (Giant's OEM carbon post) is making me pick between two disagreeable angles. I was riding with the next angle up previously for a month, but just now it's starting to feel like something's trying to be driven up my ass - probably due to the longer rides I've been having this past week.

The saddle, E3 Form, is from my previous bike. This is a familiar scenario with the saddle as it took a 2-bolt seat clamp seatpost to get it set perfectly. Would swap seatposts, but that's a Profile Design Fast Forward that was meant to make up for the slack seat tube angle of the previous bike.

With the setback, reach isn't an issue at all despite the bike's larger size (larger for me, according to Giant's sizing chart). It's a size "L" with a 58.5cm TT, but I guess the ape arms of my 5'11 self can make up for that, or there's something about the effective TT length. It's a bit ironic, because I found a 56cm CAAD8 to be a big reach for me. Only things I couldn't make up for off the bat with this TCR is the headtube length, which is 1.5-3cm taller than found on my recommended size and resolved with said stem purchase.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

Give a call to Stones over in Alameda.


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

I might have a specialized adjustabl stem in my garagethat I would get rid of. I need to check the size though.


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## redmr2_man (Dec 22, 2009)

he bought it annnnd posted pix guys. :lol:


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

redmr2_man said:


> he bought it annnnd posted pix guys. :lol:


Thanks for pointing that out. I haven't passed by this thread anymore since well, problem solved. ha.


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## rj2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Did you adjust your bars upward? My package would hurt riding the hoods like that.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

rj2 said:


> Did you adjust your bars upward? My package would hurt riding the hoods like that.


Back likes the position. Package issues subsided with some saddle height adjustment.


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