mizrachi

The most comfortable position on my 60cm Long Haul Trucker is behind the hoods by a
few inches. Riding on the hoods themselves, as I do on my road bike,
i feel a bit stretched out. As the steering tube has been cut and I
can't raise my bars any more than they already are (with the two or
three spacers in there) it looks like I've got a few options in order
to ride comfortably on the hoods:

1. Buy an uncut fork
2. Buy a 58cm frame
3. Use a stem riser
4. Use an adjustable stem
5. Buy a smaller frame
6. Adjust saddle closer to bars
7. Decide that riding behind the hoods is fine and get used to it.

For what it's worth, I have already swapped out the stock 120mm stem
for a 70mm stem and I'm afraid going any smaller might make the ride
a bit twitchy. And, I should also mention, that aside from this
issue, the bike is quite comfortable.

What would you recommend?

seeker333

https://aebike.com/product/dimension-...m2915-qc30.htm

PomPilot

You may want to consider a stem extender, since you said yours has been cut. But first, try the stem with the steeper angle.

I believe it was Grant from Rivendell Bicycle Works, who recommends that the handlebar height be at, or just above the level of the saddle. Regardless of if it was Grant or the late, great Sheldon Brown who made that recommendation, try it. I had been more comfortable riding similar to you (on the upper bars, and behind the hoods) until I raised my handlebar by using a stem similar to the one previously linked to. Now, I'm riding on the hoods themselves, and using the drops more, than I did when using the stock stem, and with the height below the saddle, like before.

Chris_in_Miami

If you haven't already installed one, a zero-setback seatpost will help you get closer to the bars.

fuzz2050

I'm always wary of adjusting saddle position when reach is the issue. The placement of the saddle should (ideally) be to optimize the relationship between your hips (knees, legs, bottom) and the pedals. Maintaining that relationship is what allows for proper pedaling dynamics. Adjusting that to change reach seems to be backwards.

robberry

Can you slide your seat forward any more?

bradtx

The saddle shouldn't be used to adjust reach, see #5. Reach is adjusted via the steerer.

mizrachi, Have you thought about handle bars with a shorter reach?

Brad

Clem von Jones

FSA compact handlebars and copies thereof have 80mm of reach compared to 100mm for most other bars. If you're concerned about twitchy handling you might get bars a little bit wider. I wouldn't hesitate to try a 60mm reach, taller, or perhaps adjustable stem combined with wider and less-reach bars.

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/pr...583.221.0.html

https://aebike.com/product/dimension-...b9040-qc30.htm

I'm wondering how tall you are. I'm 6'2", interested in the LHT and trying to determine if 58 or 60 is a better fit. A potential downside to the smaller frame is toe clearance for the front fender.

mizrachi

Thank you for the replies.

I have not tried any of the suggestions mentioned, but will. I am wary of too much saddle adjustment as my knees aren't the greatest but I think there's probably some wiggle room. I'm also intrigued into why no one has mentioned replacing the fork. Perhaps just these minor adjustments will be enough.

Fit, on this bike, is confusing. One of the LBS' here would fit me for $130 for a "pro" fit. I could easily replace the fork and try new bars or a riser or setback post for that price. Anyway, I haven't heard of too many touring bike enthusiasts getting professional fits.

valygrl

^^ I had a professional (medical, actually) fit on my road and tour bikes.

70mm stem on a 60cm bike makes me think you have the wrong size frame. how about pictures of it with and without you on it?

mizrachi

What length stem would you think is appropriate, Valygrl? For sure the stock 120mm stem on the LHT had me stretched way out in front. Again, the bike is really comfortable. I'd just like to feel this level of comfort on the hoods, not behind them. My instinct is still telling me my steering tube was cut too short. But I'm no expert.

Clem von Jones

Get an adjustable stem with long reach but use the reach to attain rise instead. This will simultaneously cure your stem length and rise anxieties.

https://www.brightspoke.com/t/bike-stem-calculator.html

mizrachi

An adjustable stem may be exactly what's needed. It's crazy...I'm so used to the road bike aesthetic that a stem with any rise looks bizzaro to me.

And sorry I overlooked your last question, I'm 6.05' with a pbh of 88.9

valygrl

Well, 70 is really short, my tour bike has a 515mm Effective Top Tube with a 70 mm stem, my road bike is 505/80. So 70 on a 60cm frame is pretty disproportional, makes me think the frame is too long. My tour bike is too long for me.

What's your current saddle-bar drop, and do you feel too low, or just too long? Low usually feels stretched in the mid to lower back, long in the neck/shoulders.

bradtx

You're just going to have to get that notion out of your head, I had to. It is a good plan to have your touring bike fit as close as possible to your well fitting road bikes, they just arent going to look the same side-by-side.

I don't think a fork swap will guarantee a better fit than using a combination of or possibly just one of the following, an adjustable stem, extender, different handle bars or simply moving the brake levers up on the bars. An easy thing to try is to roate your bars upward... may work.

Brad

fietsbob

There are short ramp road bar bends now, since brifters seem so long,
to have room for the mech inside the body..

mizrachi

I'm reluctant to swap out the bars as the 46 cm nitto noodles are the most comfortable bars I've ever used

mizrachi

I agree.

But I'm still trying to understand why a new fork with an uncut steering tube would be less effective than adjustable stems, risers, etc. Seems to me that an uncut steering tube will allow me to raise the bars higher than any extender and I can then dial in the fit with stem length. Wouldn't raising the bars also simultaneously shorten the reach to the hoods?

bradtx

It's not that a new fork couldn't work, it's just that in addition to the new fork you may need to purchase another stem and or handle bar to make the new fork work anyways. In the original post you mention that you're "a few" inches behind the hoods. Just raising the handle bars can't compensate that much within a reasonable height change, IMHO. How many is a few inches?

Brad

wicki

Hi, would love to know if you have cured this and if so how?...I am having similar issues on the LHT ...maybe my body shape! .. broke my back in 04 and have a scoliosis (curvature of the spine) I should be 6' but am actually 5'9.5"....I always have reach problems, begining to think a custom built frame is the way to go but it is so expensive.