Well, the only prototype Subrosa stuff I saw were the stem and the grips, and seeing that new grips are a dime a dozen these days, I figured we should check out the stem:
Or not. Hm. A milled-out, split-cap frontload stem. Where have I seen that before? It's more or less the skeleton of a Shadow stem. And here I thought toploads were making a comeback. This is what happens when 4-foot-11 12-year-old kids (or 25-year-old adults) insist on running eight-plus inch rise bars, I suppose. Not that I expected Subrosa to re-invent the, um, stem.
That said, let's see some thinking outside the box! How about a pair of 17-inch rise two-piece bars and a stem that goes in between the fork crown and the lower bearing race? Sure, you'll need some sort of extra piece to hold your forks on, and you won't be able to do barspins or tailwhips anymore, but won't that be a relief more than anything else?
That, or everyone could chill on buying super-high rise bars unless they really need them so there'd be no need for stems like this—but what am I talking about? That would just be crazy.
25 comments:
In the MTB world I see guys running negative rise stems and riser bars all the time...almost makes me as nuts as the guys who run a 45° rise, 100mm stem and drop bars.
so so true.
why would anyone run a front load stem that isn't Solid (animal since they're almost the same anyway)?
How come no one ever makes note of the fact that it IS placing the bottom of your bars in a different spot, thus effecting how it feels? If you used a top load stem and lower bars to have your hands in the same spot, they would still feel differently.
The side of that stem isn't too nice to look at. Would've looked better with one smaller hole.
Word: Angst.
@ Anon 4:45, not so sure about that. i think the only thing that would make it feel different is the stem offset and height between your grips and the ground. once the bars are clamped to the stem it acts as one. i could maybe see the stem design changing amount of mass outside of the spinning axis (center of head tube), but i doubt it would make enough difference to feel.
the thing that gets me is: the people that usually talk shit about the drop stems and high bars are usually the same ones calling kids weight weenies and/or picking on kids for caring too much about what their bike looks like. hypocrites. what reason could you possibly have to hate on this other than the extra weight, and that it just plain "looks dumb" to you?
that thing looks scary. i'll stick with my OG solid stem!
Chill out
The thing that still gets me is that they went through all the trouble to mill out the stem, but they left half an inch of steerer tube sticking out the top of the stem. . . whatever.
nate: They needed that material to make the spacers, duh.
Unless you cut the steerer a microbillimeter below the top of that stem you would have to use a spacer, if you cut anymore than that the stem would only be clamping on the bottom and that tiny area in the middle. Elementaries are garbage, how are you going to bring the worst stem since the primo casket into this? There is no reason to run anything but a solid, they are perfect in every aspect and likely will be for years to come.
the solid stem is solid. everything else is scrap metal.
TOPLODE 4 LIEF
"Elementaries are garbage, how are you going to bring the worst stem since the primo casket into this? "
Beau is either a troll attempting to piss off Odyssey, or he's purely idiotic on a cosmic level.
@EvilOlivE
no difference in feel? imagine an 8" steerer tube with a topload and a no rise straigh one piece bar!
you're hands will be in the same position be I doubt the steerering will feel the same.
^^^
I like it.
S&M and FBM, let's have a contest to see which of you can be the first to whip up a 8" steer tube fork, put together this setup and put a picture of it on your blog as one of the new "prototype designs" on test. Bonus points for using an inverted top load.
I love that people brought race into this. Real nice there folks.
It would feel exactly the same. Imagine you have the drop stem and 8 inch bars you have now. Without changing anything, connect a steel tube from the top of the stem to the center of the crossbar. Still feels exactly the same at this point (ignoring weight). Now remove the existing stem and the bottom of the bars, you have essentially what the guy proposed, and it would feel no different. Like Anon said earlier, once it is connected it is one piece, if the position of your hands and headset doesn't change the feel won't.
you're being ridiculous if you think that moving the spot the bottom of your bars are located but keeping your hands in the same position won't change the "feel"
It would "feel" like it looks different. haha
but seriously, what kind of "feel" are you talking about though? i agree that some things would feel different. like your bars would be smaller so they would probably feel stiffer. it would decrease the weight so it would feel lighter and the front end would pop up faster. less mass outside the spinning axis should make the bars spin with a little less inertia.
i was talking more about how it would feel to steer. and for that i dont think it would make a difference. what youre proposing is basically like a mountain bike with flat bars. given everything else equal, the steering shouldnt feel any different. what about the new sunday 24" bikes. the bigger wheel would make it steer different, but again, given everything else being equal it should steer the same.
Beau
"It would feel exactly the same......headset doesn't change the feel won't."
*Raises a B.S. flag*
verification word :Goatedit
and aint got anyting to say,damn....
I have a better one: direen
eh hehe
7" steerer tube and 1" bars? That's getting into scooter territory...
I ran a Casket for years and it never slipped once. A friend said I need a new stem. So I tried the Fly and it broke in a week. My Elementary V1 has only slipped twice.
the steering would only change feel if you ran the bottom of your bars closer to the steerer tube. ie- a 35mm reach stem vs a 50mm reach stem. if youre running the same reach it wouldnt matter how far up your stem is and how low your bars are. same concept as a director fork folks. the reach stays the same you just ues a diffrent angle to get there and it all feels the same
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