Originally Posted by
bus_ter
Thanks for the reply.
It appears my bike has no room for handlebar height adjustment with the stem already at the highest position. There are two small spacers below the stem, but this doesn't help me raise the height.
most stems are angled. is your stem currently pointing up or down? if down, you can flip it (going against collective BF wisdom) so that it points upward, which will raise the bars a little. this will require removing the handlebars from and reattaching them to the stem, which isn't very complicated.
Originally Posted by
bus_ter
Is it typical for a road bike to have no adjustment here? I raised the seat a few inches, which is now a few inches above the handlebar height. I know the frame size is about right, becuase if I stand over the frame flat footed there is about 1 inch gap between the frame and me.
1. it's not unusual. i think many shops set up their bikes in a relatively relaxed position and many people end up moving the bars down from there. if you're finding that the bars are in their highest position and are still too low with the saddle at the correct height, then the frame may be either too small or too aggressive for you.
EDIT: the solution to this without buying a new bike would be to buy a new fork with a longer steerer tube. this would give you a higher possible handlebar position.
2. standover height is not necessarily the best determinant of correct frame size.
3. most people do have their saddles higher than their handlebars, but if it's really "a few inches" higher, that might be too much. depends on your flexibility and comfort.