Bicycle Stem

The bicycle stem is the part of a bicycle that attaches the handlebars to the steering tube and bike fork on the front end. This is the piece that is needed in order for you to steer the bike.

While a relatively simple concept to understand, there is a lot about the bike stem that you may not know.

For example, there are several different types of road bike and mountain bike stems available, and which one you get will mostly depend what kind of bike you ride.

There are two basic types of bicycle stems, and these are quill stems and threadless stems.

Quill stems are the older of the two, and they fit inside of the top of the steering tube on the fork of the bike. They are usually held in place by some kind of part, either a bolt or a wedge or something like that.

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On quill stems, the steering tube actually does not come up above the headset, which is what you will notice most about these types of bike stems. These types of stems do, however, require a threaded fork, which will extend through the headset but that will not come above it.

Threadless bike stems are newer than quill stems, and have mostly replaced them. Quill stems are still used sometimes on lower end bikes or on more expensive retro bikes, but most bikes that you buy today have threadless mountain bike or road bike stems.

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Threadless bicycle stems have clamps around the steering tube that make switching stems easy, which is one advantage of threadless stems. Another advantage to these types of stems is the fact that they can be changed using just a simple allen wrench. And since no cone bolt or anything like that is used on a threadless bike stem, you can avoid the risk of it seizing up on the inside.

If you are going to be shopping for a new bicycle stem for your mountain bike or road bike, then you will probably want to go with a threadless one. Not only are these the way everyone is going now, but they are simply easier to use. They also make it easier for you to swap out parts with, which is always nice if you want to do a bit of customizing to your bike.

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As far as brands go, you should definitely try to find a brand name road bike or mountain bike stem that you trust. This is a pretty important piece of your bike, and you need it to function properly in order for you to fully benefit from owning a road or mountain bike. After all, what good is a stem if your bicycle fork and handlebars will not secure to it?

If you need a really good price, then you might want to consider shopping online for a bicycle stem. They are not hard to find, especially when you start browsing major retailers. Finding a great price may take some time, but if you have more time than money, then you probably won’t mind!

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