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Old 01-23-13, 09:49 AM
  #12  
digibud
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Further North than U
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Bikes: Spec Roubaix, three Fisher Montare, two Pugs

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Bike fitting often times does NOT look seriously at whether a stem swap is useful. Handlebar reach is, imho, THE critical thing. Seat height is easy. Fore/aft isn't as critical as many people think and people often move their butt back and forth quite a bit but how your seat position relates to your reach is really important to allow you to NOT have too much pressure on your arms or to be too bunched up. Most shops are also ill equipped to get your foot in a perfect alignment. Those are the two things that distinguish a professional bike fitting from an average one; getting the cockpit perfect and the foot angle (with orthotics if needed) correct. We have no local bike shops that do a serious, professional fitting and that's true for most small towns so the best one can do is try to educate oneself (like you're doing).
Most bikes come with a standard handlebar width determined by the frame size. It's probably reasonable for most people to go with that and see if it's going to work unless you are unusually built for your height. Mtn bike handlebars can simply be hacksawed (if not carbon) to length.
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