Originally Posted by
timstone
Well...back from the first ride after the conversion. Not a bad ride but definitely needs tuned up. I also noticed my left brake lever sits a bit higher than the right. The bars were a bit of a reach for me...but I will give it a little time to see if I can get used to it...I only rode about 10 miles....which is where I left of when I stopped riding before the conversion about 3 weeks ago...so I'm still happy with that.
Does anyone have a stem that just pops to mind when thinking of something shorter? The EA70 is 120mm.
Just go on to ebay and browse. Deda stems go as short as 60mm. A higher stem will feel shorter and most modern stems are flippable, giving them effectively two lengths. My advice is to aim to get an easy and comfortable reach to your hoods* and save the drops for sprinting and cutting into the wind. "HTFU" often ends in medical treatment and you're much better off aiming for the ergonomics of a roubaix bike than a crit racer.
* They should be just a little in front of where your bar was if it was a performance hybrid and it felt right. If can't get them that far back, then look for a stem that will lift them a little to compensate. Do NOT stick a 120mm stem on because racers normally have them - they generally have shorter top tubes than your bike and are designed for more than averagely athletic riders who are willing to pay large chiropractors bills.