Decided that to be truly retro-mod, the Hollands needed a proper -17 degree stem. Happened to have one (3T) that was the first stem I put on my Felt, but was too long given the reach the way modern compact bend bars and brake hoods work together. I used nail polish remover to remove all the logos. The length is close enough for government work (pretty much the same reach as on my Felt). The hoods are a little lower than my position on my Felt because of the way the bars drop from the tops to the drops on my ITM Pro 260 Italia bar. It’s probably pretty close to my racing position in the early/mid 90s. But still ride-able (especially since it will probably be just once a week). I think it looks “just right” and like the way everything has come together on it.
It does look better with a horizontal stem. One concern I have with my Stelbel is that there may be a slight rise on the stem but I have plenty of time to look at that with a 7 month lead time. Need to sort it at some point as the stem will be colour matched to the frame.
Thanks for the kind words. Rode it yesterday and the position wasn’t too extreme. I could raise the stem to make it a little more comfortable, but I don’t think it would look right.
If your Stelbel has a slightly sloping top tube then a stem that matches the slope would be acceptable.