STEMS

At The Village we know the BMX stem you choose will have a huge impact on the geometry of your BMX bike.

Many people purchase new stems for a different sizing or different look. There are two types of stems; Frontload Stems & Topload Stems. Understanding the different and how they affect your BMX bike setup will help with your selection.

Frontload Stems – On frontload stems, the front plate is removed to install the bars, and horizontal bolts clamp the bars in the stem.

Topload Stems – On topload stems, the top plate is removed to install the bars, and vertical (or near vertical) bolts usually clamp the bars in the stem. Due to the positioning of the clamp area, most topload stems position the bars slightly higher than frontload stems.

Keep in mind when choosing a new stem the position of your bars. If you prefer to ride your bars higher, a topload stem will be the ideal choice due to its higher clamping area. The same level of importance should be placed on choosing the reach of a stem. Riding a longer stem will create more leverage over the front end of your BMX bike, by increasing the distance between the centerline of your bars and your fork. At the same time, a longer distance can cause a bike to feel sluggish when spinning and turning, which may be an issue for some riders. If a quick and responsive setup is important, a shorter stem reach will be the better choice.