Originally Posted by peripatetic
Drops.
I've been going with the Lemond suggestion for the obscured axle--it seems accurate. My wrists and hands have been getting sore, and my butt always wants to scoot back behind the seat. I figure I need about 120-125mm added length. Getting a new seat seems an expensive proposition at this point, and I've already moved the thing back on its rails as far as it'll go.
If you are experiencing hand and wrist pain and your butt naturally tries to move further back then I'm thinking that a longer stem may not be the solution to your problem. The financial pain of a new seat or a setback seatpost may be easier to bear than the physical pain of long term joint/tendon problems. It sounds like your center of gravity is positioned forward of your feet. Try this. Have a friend steady your bike while you sit on it. Place your hands on the bar tops and position your pedals at 3:00 and 9:00 (i.e. horizontally). Place the balls of your feet on either side of the bottom bracket shell. Now, lift your hands off of the bars and hover them palms down about an inch above the bars. You should have no problem doing this. If your butt comes up out of the saddle as you try to lift your hands then your COG is too far forward.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, this may not be a big deal for everyone. I suspect that a young, light, fit rider has a lot of flexibilty in the setup they ride, and I don't know anything about your age, weight or fitness level so you'll have to decide the best approach for you.
Good luck and keep us posted.... I'd like to know.
Take care...
Jim