Thank you. That was a unit error. I was in a hurry and didn't pay close attention.

The basic fact is still true, you will be stretched out more than a road bike if you simply swap out flat bars for road bars. Actually it will be even a bit more than the difference in the top tube lengths if your original flat handlebars had some back sweep to them, because you have to take that into account too.

You also made an error in your response. You write that the 1.8cm extra reach might be what he wants because he was looking for a more aggressive position. Well, what about the 4"-5" extra reach he is going to get from the drop bar itself? Look at where the hand positions are on the hoods in his picture and compare that to where the hand positions were on the bike with a flat bar.

My point was that after extending the hand positions way out to where the drop bar now is, that he was actually stretching out further than with a road bike, because he wasn't adjusting for the extra length of the top tube.

He needs to shorten his stem by 20mm (or more) just to get it back to where it would be on a road bike.

Even if he put on an ultra-short stem, like a 50mm stem, his new hand position is still going to be about 3" further out than where he started.

Well I was thinking of getting a 70mm if I don't feel good about this one after a few rides...that would be nearly half the length. Who sells a 50mm?

You shouldn't try to get back to your flat bar geometry because road bikes are designed to be more stretched out (and the brake hoods allow you to do that comfortably.) How tall are you and what's your cycling inseam? If your seat height is set properly it looks like you are pretty tall (~ 5"10") for that 18" frame so you may not want to start at 70mm. Also flip the stem already, that much drop could cause discomfort.

I'd try a 60 or 70 before worrying about going that short. If you want a 50mm then they are easy to find - just use an oversize MTB stem. There's no need to worry that you won't get the fit right in the end, it's just unfortunate that you started with the longest size of stem. A combination of reduced stem length and increased lift can alter the effective reach by an enormous amount.

Definitely try flipping the stem - it's free!

Different road bikes are designed to have different fits. The more aggressive ones are for racing use by highly flexible riders. It's a good idea to work up to this fit - if you adopt it all. A more conservative flat bar fit gives you comfort and good all round vision from the hoods and less comfort and vision but super-speed from the drops.

Good point.

I was agreeing with you, but I wanted to leave open the possibility that this stem might work. Probably it's too long, but I don't know how long this guys arms are, how strong his back is, his personal preference with regards to position on the bike, etc. We were all telling him his stem is probably too long. I just wanted him to know it might not be and to give it a chance.

Flipping this stem doesn't look like it will change the position much. but worth a try.

It won't change the reach much but it will lift the bars up 1.5cm.

nice job! I did a similar conversion but used whatever parts I could find and already had. mine may be funny looking but its very comfortable and I use it as a winter commuter. I think your tape color is fine. I brought my drops up using a steerer tube extender. you should post your "before" picture too! :-)

Yep, because the stem angle is close to 90º the change in position will be very slight, ie. 1.5cm higher if you're calculations are correct.

Wow you're pretty good. I'm actually 5'9". As far as I know my seat height is where it needs to be. My legs are extended almost fully but not locked out when the pedal is at it's lowest position.

It looks like your frame might be a little small for you based on how much seat post you have showing and how much reach you have at the drops.

I am about half an inch taller and have a 33 inch riding inseam and ride a 52cm Trek that has an effective top tube of 55cm... when my bike was fitted with drop bars I used an 80mm stem which gave me a nice position on the bike and could have ran a 100mm.

Can't imagine running a 120 on any road bike unless it was far too small for me...