bikeslob

I recently purchased an old bike that I think may be too small for me.

I've raised the seat to a comfortable height, and brought the bars up a bit, but now I think I may be too close to the handlebars.

I know there are stems that allow you to adjust the angle of the bars, but where can I get some that let me move them closer/farther away?

Would this solve my bike fit problems, or is the issue more complex than that? Could it just be that I'm not used to drop-bars?

CACycling

Drop bars can take some getting used to so that could be the issue. As for an adjustable stem, they should really only be used to get the fit right then replaced with a regular stem of the right length and angle. And make sure the seat post isn't raised too far. There will be a minimum insertion mark to let you know how much post should be in the seat tube.

Panthers007

Not so fast there regards adjustable-stems. Most of them are adequate for finding the right angle. Most of them are also very low quality and will likely loosen up. But one stands out: The Ritchey Adjustable-Stem. This is micro-adjustable, utilizing many separate ridges of metal-to-metal contact. It will not loosen up. And they look good enough to keep on your bike. Especially if you need different angles for different tasks. Or you have different bikes and need to swap them around.

Other than that one Ritchey-stem, I agree with you.

sstorkel

I'm a big fan of the shim-adjustable stems from Specialized, such as the Comp-Set. They don't have an infinite adjustment, but the 2-degree changes are generally all you need. They're also very light and very stiff. While I haven't used the Ritchey adjustable stem, I've used similar designs and found them to be heavy, a bit flexy, and somewhat finicky to adjust.

Panthers007

The Ritchey one feels and handles like it's a one-piece stem. It's a few grams heavier than a one-piece. Unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool Weight-Weenie, you wouldn't notice.

operator

The reason why the richtey adjustable stem is acceptable over all the other crappy adjustable systems is because it takes a million years to adjust the angle. The entire stem needs to come apart. I mean, do you really need to be fitting yourself often enough to have an adjustable stem?

Don't you guys get fit for your bikes anymore?

joejack951

The only length-adjustable stem that I've ever seen is the Look Ergostem but I doubt it's a reasonable solution to your problem. Here's a link anyway: https://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/item/LOOLBTE1

A much better solution would be to find a bike that feels comfortable and then adjust your bike to match it if possible. The measurement you care about is the distance from where you sit on the saddle to where you grab on to the handlebars. Keep in mind that seatpost offset, stem length, top tube length, handlebar reach, and brake lever placement all affect reach.

If you could post some pics of your current set up we might be able to recommend some easy changes to open up the cockpit a bit. It's possible that the previous owner was too small for the bike and slid the saddle all the way forward on the rails and/or tilted the handlebars at an awkward angle.

operator

You might as well get fit profesionally if you're going to get that.

joejack951

That stem doesn't make much sense unless you REALLY want to fit on a frame not meant for you. I've seen pro's use them on TT bikes presumably to allow everyone on the team fit the same size frame.

Panthers007

True Oppie - but the query was about an adjustable-stem that moved back and forth. As no such animal exists (to my knowledge), the question changed to angles of stem. So next up: Hinged Head-Tubes - where can I buy one? What's a good brand?

Oh - and the Ritchey does take about 5 minutes to knock apart and re-assemble.

joejack951

One does exist:



But for $200+, most people are probably better off buying a new bike than installing one of them.

Panthers007

Now that's scary!