Fifty Plus (50+) - How can I raise my handlebars?

I think my handlebars need to come up about an inch or so. I often find myself holding the handlebars by only the fingertips and do feel that there's too much pressure on my hands with the current postition, and when I raise my hands by about an inch or so i feel instant relief (of course, I'm not gripping the handlebars anymore either).

I've already flipped the stem, so what other options do I have? New stem? New kind of handlebar? And am I talking about something that's an arm and a leg to do, or pretty inexpensive?

You want what is called a"comfort stem" like this nashbar version, They also come adjustable. another variation is to add a clamp on extention to the Fork tube
http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/medium/NS-ACTS.gif

That looks to me like about a 95 degree stem. If you think that you need only about one more inch of rise then a 100 degree stem of about the same length would probably work for you. That's what I would recommend doing. Stems also come in 115 degree and even 130 degree but, when you start messing with that much angle change, the reach from the saddle to the bar is shortened so you have something else to think about.

Another option would be to get a handlebar with about an inch of rise, but they'll probably also be wider and have more sweep back so they'll change the feel of your bike.

A major cost factor for your bike will be if you can get by without replacing your cables and housings as you raise your handlebars. That essentially adds a tune up onto the labor charge. From the pictures it looks to me like you MIGHT be able to get by with the cables and housings that you have now with a 1" stem rise but it's going to be close. More than a 1" stem rise or using wider, raised handlebars will almost certainly require recabeling the bike.

I added a stem extension AND a new handlebar stem holder that has 3 different angles that the handlebars can be set. I'll take a picture of it and post later this afternoon when I get back home from work. Those two additions truly made my MTB into a more comfortable riding machine because it raised my bars to a height almost level with my seat AND moved the bars back a few inches so that all my weight is not on my wrists or shoulders. Like you, I used to ride with just my fingertips on the bars - would ride for miles & miles that way. The re-configuration of my handlebars after having the sleek machine fitted to me reminds me that I haven't ridden with 'fingertip steering' since then...your posting is a reminder to me of that.

Cost? About 20 bucks for the stem riser, about the same for the angled stem handlebar-holder (yes, there's a proper term but I can't remember it). The question about gear lines having to be lengthened turned out to be moot on my bike since my shifters were in the same place as yours are so elevating them & moving them back towards me didn't really make that much difference. Yours appear to be about like mine were.
LBS didn't charge me for installation since I bought the parts from them & the original bike from them.
later,
Tom

DG,

You can get a 'Stem Riser' for about twenty dollars and you can put it on yourself as long as the cables are long enough, otherwise it's a trip to the lbs.

Easiest way is to get a new stem as velonomad suggested. The stem extenders would work too but not as easily. I have riser bar on the MTB and Tandem and this has done two things. First of all it raised the bars- but it also bought them back a bit aswell. To be honest- if you think your bars need raising- they probably need to come back aswell. AND with the stem as shown by Velonomad again- this could do both.

Hold on- Is this bike getting a bit uncomfortable? We are not going to get the musings about a new bike again are we?

Consider that since your arms move in an arc from the shoulders, shortening the stem has some of the same effect as raising the bars. Keep that in mind when adjusting things.

I'd go for a new handlebar. Something with some rise and more swept back. If this bike is only used on the road, something along the lines of a North Road bar, like what used to come on old 3-speed bikes, makes a lot more sense than flat bars that point staight out to the sides of the bike. Try holding your hands in a loose fist, about like gripping handlebars, and hold them out in front of you in a natural position about where your handlebars would be. I'll bet they are not oriented the way your handlebars are. I'll bet they are angled back a bit. You should look for bars that let your hands come close to that position.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/three.html

Two otions, a stem extension or lower your arms (ha)

Tell you what, Gee....come on up to Northern California, seafoam and I will take you over to Victory Velo Bike Shop and let them hook you up with with a sweet NEW BIKE..maybe a Volpe? Then you can go and ride some good hills with us!

Another option would be to get an adjustable stem like a Dimension. As the stem rises it also arcs back toward you so new cables are not needed. I bought the same length adjustable stem as the stock one on my bike. The only other part needed was an extra shim.

Hear is a picture:

http://www.triathlete.com/store/images/products/large/SM2080.jpg

Two otions, a stem extension or lower your arms (ha)

Don't raise the bridge. Lower the River!!

Armed with all these suggestions, I tooled over to Adams Avenue Bicycles and they found me a stem extension, $20. I can even raise the bars further if I want. They installed it, and i had to remind them to charge me for labor ("Is $5 okay?")

What a great LBS.

Anyway, went for a 23 miler today and it felt a lot better. Plus, I now have a place to install a raccoon tail, if I ever get one. :D

Great. You have the height, now think about the sweep.

Great. You have the height, now think about the sweep.

You mean as in North Bars? I may give that a try sometime. I rode very briefly with North Bars on a single speed conversion and thought they were kinda fun.

North bars are one example (and a good one IMO), but mostly any bar that lets the wrists angle back in a more natural position. The bars in your photos seem to have very little sweep. That position makes sense for picking your way around rocks and roots on an offroad descent, but I've never understood the popularity of bars like that for road riding. If you look around you'll see that there are many types of handlebars on the market.

I think my handlebars need to come up about an inch or so.

It's just me, but have you tried just raising your present stem? It should be able to come up at least a couple of inches before it is too high. Try it. The worst that can happen is that you will have to push it back in. Pull it all the way out so you can see how long it is, and slide it back in to a height you like.

It's just me, but have you tried just raising your present stem? It should be able to come up at least a couple of inches before it is too high. Try it. The worst that can happen is that you will have to push it back in. Pull it all the way out so you can see how long it is, and slide it back in to a height you like.

It was already pretty much as high as it would go. Thanks!

It's just me, but have you tried just raising your present stem? It should be able to come up at least a couple of inches before it is too high. Try it. The worst that can happen is that you will have to push it back in. Pull it all the way out so you can see how long it is, and slide it back in to a height you like.

Take a look at the pictures again. He has a threadless system. No such thing as sliding the stem up and down in the steerer. If there had been spacers above the stem he could have placed them below it to raise the stem a bit. In fact, he could do that now with the setup he now has if he wants the bars even higher than he now has them.

Big Ditto for the North Roads. Just did 70 on my old 830 today. North Roads set to the same height as a B67.

Another option would be to get an adjustable stem like a Dimension. As the stem rises it also arcs back toward you so new cables are not needed. I bought the same length adjustable stem as the stock one on my bike. The only other part needed was an extra shim.


Am very much interested in an adjustable stem. Either the Dimension or the one of Nashbar. But please tell me, don't these things weigh too much? The Nashbar adjustable weighs 220 Gms, while the Dimension adjustable weighs 240 Gms. Would that be an issue?

And are they durable?

Am very much interested in an adjustable stem. Either the Dimension or the one of Nashbar. But please tell me, don't these things weigh too much? The Nashbar adjustable weighs 220 Gms, while the Dimension adjustable weighs 240 Gms. Would that be an issue?

And are they durable?


What is more important to you, comfort on the bike or 1/2 a pound of weight?

I suppose I can get buy with an additional half a pound of hardware.

But how about the quality? Are they durable? I ask because there are movable parts in the stem itself. Won't these loosen after some time? That goes for both the Nashbar and the Dimension. I wouldn't want to spend on more expensive adjustables.