Originally Posted by
North Coast Joe
"Do I need a shorter stem?" Currently a 105mm, 10 deg....I'm thinking 50mm, or is that too big a change?
With out knowing the type of bike, your height etc, this is impossible to answer, Stems have been getting shorter over the years, 20 years ago 130-150mm would be standard, 10 years ago 110-100mm, 2-3 years ago 70-90mm, now 35-70mm. At the same time, the geometry of the rest of the bike has evolved to accommodate this, so putting a 35mm stem on a 20 year old MTB won't bring the handling up to 2013 standards, you need a 2013 frame designed for a super short stem for this.
From what the issues you are describing with you bike fit, you really need to go to a good bike shop, ideally the one where you got the bike from, as they should have been able to advise if the bike was the correct size, and any adjustments which need to be made. Add to that you are reversing the seatpost indicates that you have some major setup issues with the bike, and it probably is the wrong size for you.