Originally Posted by
AndyK
Update: Finally.
I got the wheels, and tuned up the bike. Problem is, as soon as I start riding, my wrists and arms start hurting, along with my shoulders and neck. I finally got around to taking a photo against the garage door, and it strikes me that the bike is WAY too small for me, and the saddle to bar drop way too big.
These things are true.
Question is, do I need to scrap the frame, and look for a larger one, or would a riser stem make it OK to ride? I think the frame is a gonner myself, but if opinion says it's fine with a different stem, so be it! All the parts and the frame are like-new, so keeping it, or keeping the parts and finding another frame are options too. Thoughts?
Riser stems scare me. Metal fatigue is a problem with stems anyway, but with risers it is amplified by leverage. A better solution imo is fitting a BMX stem and cromo BMX bars. You could get 7 inches of rise this way very safely. Otoh, you'd still have a bike designed for a MUCH small rider than you - I'd worry you would be too upright.
VERY IMPORTANT: have you checked that the seatpost isn't extended past the safety limit? It should be marked. This is a real safety issue - the frame could snap at seat tuve/top tube junction if the post is over extended. Usually at the worst possible moment while you are riding it.