Road Cycling - raise the handle bars on a trek 5200

well i am a new member and new to road biking. past experiance has been with a gt outposttrail. my friend is going away for a few months and she lent me her trek 5200. since i am taller then her i raised the seat post, is there anyway i can raise the handle bars? i am not sure which model the stem is it says bontrager and is black with a red line around it. the bike is a newer version i would appreciate an indebt website that can tell me how to raise them.

thanks

Originally posted by liquid
well i am a new member and new to road biking. past experiance has been with a gt outposttrail. my friend is going away for a few months and she lent me her trek 5200. since i am taller then her i raised the seat post, is there anyway i can raise the handle bars? i am not sure which model the stem is it says bontrager and is black with a red line around it. the bike is a newer version i would appreciate an indebt website that can tell me how to raise them.

thanks Looking at current Trek catalog indicates the stem is a threadless type.Most of them can be 'flipped' over to get additional height,but if yours is in the flipped position already there is nothing more to be done other than buy a stem with more rise or buy a steerer extender.Any messing you do with a threadless stem also requires that the headset be readjusted. If the headset and stem were the threaded type, the job would be easier,as one only has to loosen the center bolt on the stem and raise or lower it without messing with headset adjustment.If the HS is threaded type,there will be TWO BIG NUTS ,one above the other where the stem enters the HS. The nuts are for HS adjustmen and have nothing to do with stem adjustment. With threaded type stems there will be a minimum insertion mark onthe stem that has to be below the levelof the HS. Many of the later Treks even with threaded HS have stems with such short quills,that the adjustment latitude is limited.You can check ww.parktool.com for more on HS types.

Chances are you have a threadless stem.

Problem is many shops cut the forks too short and this doesn't allow you to raise it more. If shops knew before hand and at least rode bikes they would leave some space on top.

I am sure you have no space.

You can flip your stem around and may gain minor height.

Worse comes to worse you will need to buy another stem with more rise. This would be the cheapest alternative.

Just ask for a stem with a bigger rise than you have. You will have to know the lenght stem you have now.

Any shop should be able to help you.

Performance Bicycle has a steer tube extender that will raise your bars 3 inches.