Originally Posted by
TheFort
That's how you set up your gravel bike??
I'm 45 years old and just want to ride some off road trails for fun and adventure. I do want a more upright position because of my age and the intended use of the bike. I do have back pain, so I don't disagree on the lack of flexibility. I can ride centuries on my road bike, so I don't think I lack fitness, just flexibility.
I'm 3 inches shorter and my previous bikes had the same 383mm reach and 525mm stack. They were both slammed with only the 15mm headset top cover and -17 x 100mm stems, with 80mm reach bars. I'm 68 years old but still ride 50+ mile rides into the mountains with plenty of climbing. You're a youngster compared to me. A 70mm high rise stem and lots of spacers shouldn't be needed, with reasonable fitness.