haneybd87

So I just bought a bike for the first time in 12 years. I got a 2015 Specialized Crossroads Elite. I ended up going with the large because my inseam was 33" which is between the large and x-large and the large felt better to me. After about 2 miles a day for the past 2 weeks my arms and hands have been going numb. My seat is as far forward as it can go yet I still have to lean forward and put weight on my hands in order to reach the handlebars because I have freakishly short arms. The salesman said the handlebars on the bike couldn't be adjusted and I didn't think that would be an issue (I'm new to this as an adult). I'm wondering if it's possible to get an extension for this type of handlebar stem? Here's a picture of it:

CharlieC

You can buy different length stems or quick adjust stems. Look at one called a t-Rex that Cannondale uses. If it were me, I would be looking at bar ends first to,have different positions for my hands before they start to numb.

CharlieC

Sorry, the stem isncalled "trans-x"

Kindaslow

There are shorter stems, stems angled upward, riser bars, all of which would help. Also, Ergonomic grips might help, by spreading out the pressure. Even gloves with gel can help.

FBinNY 

I can't see the bar and bar clamp, but it looks like the bar can be removed from the stem, allowing you to buy a shorter or high angle, or adjustable stem as suggested above. Most adjustable stems can be set to a very high angle, which would bring the bars both closer and higher.

Of course, that would depend on the bar being a common diameter, 25.4, 26.2 or 31.8mm, most likely the first or last, since 26.2 is mainly for drop bars. Also, if you want to replace both the bars and stem, you might shop for a bar with more sweep back which would also move your hands closer.

Lastly, as suggested above, you might use bar ends turned so they point up, to give you a higher alternate hand position as a break from normal.

Of these, it's hard to suggest the right answer without seeing you on your bike and making a call as to the real issue.

BTW- put your city into your profile, so that others who live in the same area might refer you to a shop that does good fits.

Darth Lefty 

Has anyone suggested that the bike might be too big for you? That bike has pretty high handlebars to begin with but if they're too far away you're working against fate.

haneybd87

Well my inseam is 33" which is right between large and x-large for hybrids so I don't think it's too big. If I went smaller wouldn't I just run into leg length/space issues?

Anyways, so that trans-x stem will for sure work for my bike? The handlebars are 25.4" and they can be removed.

Also, what kind of bar ends would you recommend?

Edit: Which of these stems would I go with? There's so many choices and I have no clue what I'm doing. https://www.tranzxpst.com/components/products/stems/

Edit2: My stem clamp is 31.8.

Edit3: JD - ST103A-1?

Edit4: There doesn't appear to be anywhere in the U.S. that sells that stem. What is the type of stem on my bike so that I know what I'm searching for from other brands?

demoncyclist

Having your saddle all the way forward may not be the optimal position for your knees. Set the saddle height and fore/aft adjustment properly for your legs, then modify the cockpit for your torso. If you are putting too much weight on your hands, you may just ned to strengthen your core. The bars are for stability and steering, not for holding your torso up. You want to rest your hands lightly, not lean, and make sure that you are not grabbing the bars with a white knuckle grip. Bar ends will help, as they will give you another position. Properly sized grips- density , length and diameter- can also be useful.

Little Darwin

First, find a new bike shop if the told you that the handlebar position couldn't be adjusted. They should have run through the options, even if there was a cost associated with it.

Second, you are looking for a threadless stem for a 1 1/8" headset with 31.8 mm clamp. You may need some additional spacers, depending on the stem, and length of the steering tube.

I think the ST103A-1 you mention might work for you, as would the ST103A (although you would probably need more spacers).

There are other alternatives, just search on cycling sites (or sites like Amazon) for adjustable stem...

Here is one I used, and it seems lighter than many adjustable stems:

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...ngle-road-stem


EDIT: Also, if switching stems, you will probably need to buy a top cap, since the stem you are replacing has an integrated top cap, and not the traditional separate item.

fietsbob

Terminology: 'extension' is a horizontal distance, steerer tube to handlebar .


so the question implies you want a different stem .

with threadless stems you will find abundant choices.. short seems around 45mm ..

as you raise the angle of an adjustable stem it is functionally a shorter reach as well .

ltxi

Stem can for changed for another with a different reach/angle. My LBS does these swaps for free on any bike purchased from them. Existing stem can also be flipped over to change the angle. Stem can also be raised via a raiser/riser extension. There are also angle adjustable stems. I find the latter quite useful to tweak to my liking before settling on a new, fixed stem.

haneybd87

So for bar ends can you find grips that leave extra space on the end to clamp the ends on or do I have to modify them? I can't find any grips on Amazon that leave this space.

Well the guy at the bike shop was first showing me a cheaper Specialized hybrid with handlebars that could be adjusted without adding an extension or a different stem so I think that was what he was referring to when he said the bar position on this bike couldn't be adjusted. Probably my fault for being a noob.

How do I know the optimal fore/aft position of the seat for my knees? I adjusted the height of the seat for the best knee angle (even had someone take pictures) but I am not aware of how to figure out the fore/aft position.

FRANK CANNON

What kind of stem is this? Crazy looking thing.




This thing is maxed out on height, if you need it higher than that this bike doesn't fit.

haneybd87

The others said I could put a different stem and extensions on there. Is this not true?

FRANK CANNON

No. This bike does not fit. That's bordering on ridiculous as it is.

That looks like 100mm of spacers.

FBinNY 

You can change to a standard type stem, but your existing stem has about 2" of rise built in that you'd give up. So you'd need either a stem with a very high angle, or a stem raiser like one of these to get the starting point higher.

All things considered, it can become expensive to make small vertical changes, so unless you also heed a shorter forward extension, it might not be worth the effort.

OTOH - if you do want the bar closer but a hinged stem which you can angle high, bringing the bar both closer and higher at the same time. If after that you still need more height you can add a stem raiser.

haneybd87

Well my problem is that I have normal length legs but abnormally short arms so if I go smaller on the bike it may fit my arms but not my legs.

avidone1

It sounds like the bike is a poor fit....with your short arms you might have been better off with a smaller size frame...easier to adjust saddle height than reach.
the next size smaller, may be too small for you but I would give it a try. The trans X tool free adjustable stem is very cool. I have it and love it. But it is a quill stem and the crosstrail uses a threadless stem....different animals....IDK what your LBS is telling you but there are fixed stems with different angle's available as well as threadless adjustable stems that will fit your bike. HOwever all those spacers may negate some of that.....Life is tough for those of us who can't get buy "off the rack".
Good luck.

haneybd87

So I went for a short bike ride to the store and back, about half a mile round trip and I was very careful to not put any weight on my hands and try to hold myself up with my core. About 5 minutes after I got home my arm and hand went numb. So I don't know what the heck is going on.

Also, not sure I can return this bike anymore, the paint is really soft and I've scratched it in numerous places already. So I'll probably have to go the custom stem route, if that is even what my problem is.

Edit: now the numbness has gone away and I have some minor pain in my deltoid/brachialis area. What could this be?

FBinNY 

Sometimes we feel pain in places very different than the actual cause. For example folks with sciatica, usually don't feel back pain, they have pain in the hip or leg, often combined with numbness and tingling.

So, if you have hand and arm pain without an identifiable direct cause, suspect something upstream (or is that down). Possibly the way you're holding your head is causing pressure on nerves in your neck (cervical spine) which is manifesting as hand or arm pain and numbness.

Tinker with your riding posture and see if it helps. If you, like me, have nerve issues or muscle spasms from holding your head up, you have to find ways to manage it. For example, where I can, I scan and "memorize" the road up to a few hundred yards ahead, then can drop my head and ride "blind" for a short while before repeating the process. Of course this is useless and dangerous in urban traffic, but it comes in very handy on long stretches of open road, which are the rides where I'm in the saddle the longest.

BTW- in many cases this kind of neck issue responds very well to massage and exercise therapy. If it is limiting your ability to ride, I'd visit a skilled physical therapist and see if he can help. A doc may not be the right guy because when you say, "my arm goes numb when I ride this way" he might say "so don't ride that way".

avidone1

Yeah. Your stuck with a bike that doesn't fit. You can try raising hell with the lbs, but they did try to put you on a different bike sounds like the expedition because it has an adjustable stem....Anyway. At this point I would go to a different lbs, and just tell them about your hand/arm numbness and ask for help....let them tell you what they think the solution is.....Good luck ...please keep us updated I'm really interested to see how this turns out for you.

haneybd87

Here's a picture of me on my bike. What do you think of the fit? Note I don't actually ride in sandals and don't hold my hand over the brake like that.

FBinNY 

IMO - the bars are neither too low or too far away, but you riding position seems awkward. I can't tell by the photo but how straight are your elbows?

If I were working with you, I'd move the bars forward and down, rather than up and back, to bring your shoulders forward (unless you want an upright ring position. Then I'd try to bend your elbows a bit to relax your arms and allow you to steer from the wrist and forearm rather than the shoulder.

It's hard to work from a photo, but you look anything but relaxed on that bike. Without changing anything flex your elbows to pull yourself forward a bit and put some shoulder weight onto your hands, and balance how your upper body is supported. Note if that helps or makes things worse, and that will help give a sense of which way to go.

One thing you might do is go someplace where plenty of people are riding upright bar hybrids. Snap photos of them broadside, then note their positions vs yours.

haneybd87

My shoulders are extended forward in that picture. Bending my elbows would make me lean forward so wouldn't that put more weight on my hands? I thought I wanted to avoid that.

FBinNY 

You seem to have proven that weight on your hands wasn't the problem, so the goal is now to relax the area between your shoulders and neck, and work on general alignment of your head, back and arms.

It's hard to work without being there to see things in the flesh, which is why I sent you to get photographs of other people on bikes as a basis of comparison.

One other experiment I do when fitting is to have you close your eyes and hold your arms out from your body at a comfortable angle, and rotate hands to find the most relaxed position. Then sit on the bike, and repeat the exercise (eyes closed) and slowly lean forward to find where the hands go. This is very unscientific, but helps find the general area where you'll be most comfortable.