mstateglfr 

How is this bike too small for you? The saddle doesnt look too high and you mention the stem should be shorter which makes it seem like the bike is too large for you(at least in top tube length).
As is in the picture, the setup looks pretty normal/common/standard. The stem is a bit high which could indicate the frame is too small, but that can just as easily indicate the rider needs a slightly more upright position for comfort(which you confirm with the stem length comment).

mstateglfr 

This bike also doesnt look like it is too small for you, at least based on this picture. The saddle height isnt absurd, the stem height and length arent absurd.
You mention you would use a taller stem now compared to the one in the pic, but even if that puts the bars and levers 2cm higher, that wouldnt scream 'bike is too small!!' to me.

Anyways, if you do adjust things this spring, perhaps a bar with a modern bend would be best. You wont have to rotate the bars upwards with a modern compact bend shaped bar. Bonus- you could still use the drops with the modern compact bend shape.

LesterOfPuppets

Most cool-guy Roadies look at the stem height and assume bike is too small. The seatpost is kinda tall for a horizontal top tube bike, but yeah not too bad.

seagrade 

Those days are all too far and few for me now but there’s a lot to be said for quality tubulars on lightweight wheels. Have you tried the lower seat height of your little Fuji on some of your other “correctly” sized larger bicycles? With different saddles, pedals/shoes, crank lengths and setback across several different bicycles I don’t replicate exact seat height across them, instead starting at the same nominal 82cm height and adjusting up or down in 3mm increments until things feel just right. Over time this has led to a range of maybe 15-20mm, perhaps an actual variation of 10mm when saddle compression and pedal stack heights are taken into account. Curiously or not saddle height tends lower on the bicycles used most often, and remains higher on those used less (generally the race bicycles among them). Some of this is the aging process I guess, but it leads me to question whether the old racer effect had me riding saddles a little high out of history and habit for a quite a while. The bicycles with slightly lower saddles ride just as well as those with higher, better on occasions too (although sadly not often to the extent you describe of your Fuji…!)

campfire

I completely missed this thread until today. Frame configuration on the Raleigh (not a Bianchi) was strictly pragmatic. After a decade or so of riding various hybrid/MTB bikes I wanted to have an 80s touring bike again. This one popped up with the brifter conversion, which I wanted (and which saved me from messing with the 4.5mm bolt headache on the downtube). On my test ride the fit seemed workable. After ~1200 miles on this bike, I really like it. I've made one fitment adjustment since this picture was taken, shifting the seat & bars slightly rearward. This relieved shoulder strain on the 50-80 mile rides that this bike sees. It does have a slight bit of toe strike on the front fender, so it's not QUITE perfect. But in practice this rarely happens.



My other commuter bike is a 54cm Schwinn Crosscut. It has less seat extension, but still probably more than this thread seems to want. Not coincidentally, the crank-seat height is identical between the bikes. While I haven't measured the reach, the bikes feel as similar as can be expected between a drop bar and a "Glen bar." I'll happily ride all day long on either of these bikes.



Could I ride a larger frame? Sure. I don't have measurements, but old pictures show my 1985 Schwinn Traveler had a significantly larger frame. I'd guess at least 60cm. That bike fit well without requiring an extended seatpost or stem. Would that be better? Perhaps. I wouldn't choose 54cm if buying a new bike. But after this summer's bike crash, the Raleigh has acquired sentimental value. I'm in no hurry to replace it, even if the "right" size of frame became available.

campfire

Two more notes:

I had a 60cm hybrid bike that fit well with seat/handlebars in a low configuration. It was a good fit until I cracked the aluminum head tube.

I also had a 50cm Crosscut that never did fit well, despite trying several combinations of seat, stem, and bars. It was just...too...small to get the job done well. I could get the seat high enough (barely), but the bars were too close, and I had issues with toe strikes and heel strikes (when using the rear rack). There's a reason I don't have that bike anymore.

campfire

I guess I have an uncle named Robert.