Just got some Nitto mustache bars. Love the look and I think they can really work for me once I get a new stem (giving me back pain right now, too low). Rivendell suggests getting a shorter stem that is higher than your saddle and they recommend the Nitto Dirt Drop but I can't use that cos my bike uses a threadless stem. I don't know the first thing about components so does anyone have suggestions for a threadless stem that could work similarly? Or what kind of specs to look for?

Right now my stem is 70mm +/-10 degrees. I'm just regurgitating the specs I see but I have no idea what that 70mm is referring too. Little help?

70mm is the distance from the center of your fork steerer to the center of the handlebars. How much height do you need to get the stem above your seat?

Probably need about an inch and a half of height. I came across a delta threadless stem riser on the REI site that can go up to 2 inches. Seems like it will fit my current stem and steer tube. Maybe if I try that and move my saddle forward, it will help.

They do make threaded and threadless stem extensions.

yes, an extension should work fine. You could probably get a little shorter stem and one with a more extreme angle -- there are 45 degree stems. Moving your saddle forward should be a last resort.

Moving your saddle forward is an awful solution to reach problems. The fore/aft positioning of the saddle serves only to position your hips relative to the bottom bracket for optimum pedalling. If you move it forward, you will disrupt your relationship to the pedals, and all of a sudden the bike will feel much slower.

Threadless stems aren't usually made much shorter than 70mm, unless you want to delve into the world of BMX, but you can get one with more rise. Because of the slope of the head tube, raising the handlebars also moves it closer to you.

I'm not sure that will be enough, moustache bars can be a real pain to fit, they have much more reach than a drop bar (5 cm I think) that preclude them from being used comfortably on many bikes.

Hmm, I hadn't thought about the problems I'd cause if I moved my saddle. Everything has been fine in the pedaling dept so I guess I shouldn't mess with that.

When I was trying out the M-bars I installed them upside down and the rise really did feel better. I ended up installing them the "correct" way cos I figured if they were meant to be upside down they would have designed them like that. Silly me.

I'll try out the stem riser (since it's cheaper than a new stem) and hopefully that will make the difference. I'll go with a higher angled stem if not.

Thanks everyone.