Other than not being as nice looking as a fixed stem, are there any downsides to consider with an adjustable stem?
Mine was a GREAT way to fit a tough 58 cm frame to my 61cm frame needing self. The main draw back is weight, but otherwise not much in my opinion.
Weight, and in some cases stiffness.
they can get a bit creaky - just one more point on your frame to regularly clean, grease and tighten.
otherwise, yeah - maybe just weight and fashion.
-mike
I’ve had that creak problem too. The best adjustable stem I’ve come across is the Forte stem from Performancebike.com
jaretj
The 3T one seems good.
You might struggle to mount computers and stuff on an adjustable stem.
What angle do you need? Specialized make stems that are adjustable via shims on the steerer. Very neat setup.
I had an old Look Ergo Stem for a while and I couldn’t get it to stay put in some of the more “extended” positions. Newer designs that rely more on shim/tube angle to get the adjustment are likely far more secure.
I’ve used them on a couple of different bikes.
-An adjustable stem will add about 100g to the weight of the bike. To some that may matter.
-Not all adjustable stems are created equally. The range of adjustment on some maxes out at 35deg and others at 60deg.
I’ve had great success with the Ritchey adjustable stem. It doesn’t creak, but is limited to a max angle of 35deg.
This is the one that I’m currently using (below) and it’s a stiff, creak free, reliable stem that allows me to go to -45deg without issue.
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cycling/BikeParts/HandlebarGrip/PRD~5021-137/mec-95mm-adjustable-stem.jsp
I am currently using the specialized adjustable ones, they have 4 angles: 2 positive, 2 neg. Mine is +16,+8,-8,-16
Great points mentioned above.
If you’re considering an adjustable stem, work out the geometry. For those with the pivot (Oval, Kalloy, Dimension, etc), adjusting the stem changes the effective length and pitch too.
Adjustable stems that are shorter than 100mm are not very effective IMO. The steerer to pivot is usually 35mm, rising UP at 90D - HTA. That leaves < 65mm to be angled down from the pivot at a higher stack than the steerer clamp, leaving you with not as much drop as you think. Sometimes a -25D or -35D solid stem works best.
They are great for making changes and trying various cockpit positions though.