# "flat" stem



## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

Hey guys, I'm looking for a stem with minimal rise, or where the stem is close to parallel to the ground as possible. Most brands only carry down to 82 degree extension angle (or +/- 8 rise). Is there a brand that carries one greater than 8 degrees? thanks.


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## downtube (Mar 17, 2011)

3T
Look for the + - 17 degree check the team and pro 3t stems

http://www.3tcycling.com/stems/arx


chuck


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

The Thomson X2 is offered as a 10* stem that is pretty "flat" on your typical 73* HT without being as aggressive as a -17.


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## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

xjbaylor said:


> The Thomson X2 is offered as a 10* stem that is pretty "flat" on your typical 73* HT without being as aggressive as a -17.


Thanks! Yeah -17 might be a little too aggressive for me. Is there any other brand other than Thomson that carries a -10 stem? thanks.


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

tjjm36m3 said:


> Hey guys, I'm looking for a stem with minimal rise, or where the stem is close to parallel to the ground as possible.


-17 = parallel to the ground within a degree or two (depending on the head tube angle). Besides 3T, Ritchey makes some as well though I believe that they call them 73°.


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## Helms (Oct 19, 2011)

The majority of Pro (Shimano) stems are -10. I have the Vibe 7s and am happy with it.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Another vote for Thomson. They work well and look great.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

Thomson, 3T, Zipp, Ritchey for -17 degree.

FSA was doing -17 degree stems but supposedly at the last SF Bike Expo the rep told me they cancelled that option last minute due to low demand. The 3T ARX stems are decent; by all means if you want "just" the Pro version go for it. The Team's Ti bolt's can be easy to pop. Zipp uses torx bolts in the SC SL, but it's also a decent stem and you can swap bolts anyway.

I heard the Ritchey stems were on the flexy side for stronger riders, whereas the Thomson's were dead-solid.

For -10 degree, Shimano Pro has a lot of options. I'm using their Vibe 7S too and it's plain cool. Just note that by design you're never supposed to flip it into a riser stem.


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## MPov (Oct 22, 2010)

I have the Thomson stem and it is rock solid. Weighs a lot for a stem but rock solid.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

Wabi sells a -17 deg. stem, but it only comes in silver and a 26.0 mm bar clamp. I suppose it's meant more for "retro" applications. I've got it on one of my bikes and it looks good.
Stems


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## ParadigmDawg (Aug 2, 2012)

MPov said:


> I have the Thomson stem and it is rock solid. Weighs a lot for a stem but rock solid.


Thought mine was rock solid too until last Saturday. Always used a torque wrench and tightened to spec or below to carbon bars and used carbon paste.

Thompson said it looks like a material issue and they are sending me a new one. Thank goodness I was pulling into my driveway and almost at a stop when it broke or I may have taken a ugly spill.

I am not disrespecting Thompson, I have a lot of their stuff and never had an issue.


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## champamoore (Jul 30, 2012)

ParadigmDawg said:


> Thought mine was rock solid too until last Saturday. Always used a torque wrench and tightened to spec or below to carbon bars and used carbon paste.
> 
> Thompson said it looks like a material issue and they are sending me a new one. Thank goodness I was pulling into my driveway and almost at a stop when it broke or I may have taken a ugly spill.
> 
> I am not disrespecting Thompson, I have a lot of their stuff and never had an issue.


Woah! _Carbon_ made _*aluminum*_ asplode! Don't hear people talk about that too often!

Thomson has a great reputation for standing behind their product, though. Not to mention great product!


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## Gimme Shoulder (Feb 10, 2004)

tjjm36m3 said:


> Thanks! Yeah -17 might be a little too aggressive for me.


Well that is what you asked for - right? 17 degrees IS flat. Not to be snide about it, but have you tried just using your browser's search engine for this. I just "Googled" "10 degree stem" and "17 degree stem" and immediately came up with dozens of options from several different manufacturers. The internet is a wonderful thing. Might try it some time.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

ParadigmDawg said:


> I am not disrespecting Thompson, I have a lot of their stuff and never had an issue.


No idea what your stem looks like, but I like that granite...


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## CleavesF (Dec 31, 2007)

Be aware that the X2 Stems, if you don't tighten them correctly they'll "squeak" while you ride. 

I own a 130mm X2.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Bontrager stuff comes in +/- 7* and +/- 17*. They're carbon stems split the difference and come in +/-12*, this might be good for your application but they're pricey.


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

Gimme Shoulder said:


> Well that is what you asked for - right? 17 degrees IS flat. Not to be snide about it, but have you tried just using your browser's search engine for this. I just "Googled" "10 degree stem" and "17 degree stem" and immediately came up with dozens of options from several different manufacturers. The internet is a wonderful thing. Might try it some time.


Notice all of the helpful answers above. Your post was unnecessary, unhelpful and simply pointless. He didn't ask for a list of stems with a 10 or 17 degree rise, he asked for more than 8. This would imply that he didn't know that 10 and 17 were the exact angles these stems were produced at. 

In essence, you just told the OP to Google something that he didn't even know existed until he received the answer in this very thread. 

Seems like a pretty good use of a bicycling forum to me.


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## Gimme Shoulder (Feb 10, 2004)

Cool your jets, xj. There was no maliciousness in my post. You're reading that in. When I said "Not to be snide about it...", I meant that.

You're apparently not reading the original post in its entirety. The OP asked for, "...a stem with minimal rise, or where the stem is close to parallel to the ground as possible..." You don't need to know what the degrees are to know if you want something as close to parallel as possible. But, as you know, that = 17 degrees, to which the OP then says "...too aggressive...Is there any other brand other than Thomson that carries a -10 stem"? OK, so now that he knows about what degree stem he's really looking for, I'm simply suggesting that he can find plenty of options (independent of this forum) out on the World Wide Web with a simple search. I never said posting the question here was inappropriate or unwelcome in any way. The crack about the internet being a wonderful thing - might try it some time, was intended in jest. Read in it what you will.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

I have a Zipp service course stem that is 17 degrees. I like it fine on my S3.


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

Gimme Shoulder said:


> Cool your jets, xj. There was no maliciousness in my post. You're reading that in. When I said "Not to be snide about it...", I meant that.
> 
> You're apparently not reading the original post in its entirety. The OP asked for, "...a stem with minimal rise, or where the stem is close to parallel to the ground as possible..." You don't need to know what the degrees are to know if you want something as close to parallel as possible. But, as you know, that = 17 degrees, to which the OP then says "...too aggressive...Is there any other brand other than Thomson that carries a -10 stem"? OK, so now that he knows about what degree stem he's really looking for, I'm simply suggesting that he can find plenty of options (independent of this forum) out on the World Wide Web with a simple search. I never said posting the question here was inappropriate or unwelcome in any way. The crack about the internet being a wonderful thing - might try it some time, was intended in jest. Read in it what you will.


Still seems like a highly unnecessary post whether you feel you can justify it or not.


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## Gimme Shoulder (Feb 10, 2004)

xjbaylor said:


> Still seems like a highly unnecessary post whether you feel you can justify it or not.


Only if you read it in a negative tone/context. That wasn't the intent, but I see how you are reading it that way. The saying comes to mind "Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime". Everybody in the thread is throwing the guy A fish, and that's fine, but it's limited exposure. I'm suggesting he "fish" the internet, and find a vast array of results very quickly. I'm also suggesting that he settles on what he really wants - is it a stem parallel to the ground, as first posted, or more like 10 degrees.

I don't want to highjack the thread any more than I already have, with this side discussion. So I'll be done here.


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## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

Gimme Shoulder said:


> Only if you read it in a negative tone/context. That wasn't the intent, but I see how you are reading it that way. The saying comes to mind "Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime". Everybody in the thread is throwing the guy A fish, and that's fine, but it's limited exposure. I'm suggesting he "fish" the internet, and find a vast array of results very quickly. I'm also suggesting that he settles on what he really wants - is it a stem parallel to the ground, as first posted, or more like 10 degrees.
> 
> I don't want to highjack the thread any more than I already have, with this side discussion. So I'll be done here.


I do know how to use the internet and yes I felt your comment was a bit condescending. No need to write and write follow up messages defending what you already wrote. Move on and troll on somebody else.


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## ParadigmDawg (Aug 2, 2012)

Pirx said:


> No idea what your stem looks like, but I like that granite...


Thanks, my wife designed our kitchen and it pretty nice.



















Sorry OP for going way off topic.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

LOOK C-Stem


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## ParadigmDawg (Aug 2, 2012)

ParadigmDawg said:


> Thought mine was rock solid too until last Saturday. Always used a torque wrench and tightened to spec or below to carbon bars and used carbon paste.
> 
> Thompson said it looks like a material issue and they are sending me a new one. Thank goodness I was pulling into my driveway and almost at a stop when it broke or I may have taken a ugly spill.
> 
> I am not disrespecting Thompson, I have a lot of their stuff and never had an issue.


Just a quick update on the Thompson stem. I mailed it back to them, they received it on 9/10/12 and a new one was in my mailbox today. Good CS!!!


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

You can't ask for more than a company that rarely has any warranty issues quickly taking care of those that do appear.


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