Bike Forums - Stems, Angles, and Spacers: Help with Bar Adjustments

Hi,

Hoping the expertise on this board could help me think through some bar adjustments I want to make.

I have a 2006 Lemond Etape that looks, especially in the cockpit area, very similar to this stock model.

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/...-2006-bike.jpg

Currently my setup is a 17 degree, 90cm flipped stem on 42 cm Bontrager Sport bars (all stock). As is the case in that picture, there are a good number of spacers under the flipped stem.

My goal is to bring the drops up to a higher height - or, to say it another way, less reach to the drops from the saddle. Having three/four spacers under a flipped stem seems counter-intuitive to me, so my first adjustment was to flip the stem and move one of the spacers above the stem. I felt this brought the bars too high and maybe too close (to the saddle).

I know I could keep with the guessing game, which might go one for awhile, as geometry has never been my strong suit. I know I have a number of options here including some combination of stem angle/length/direction, spacer use, and bar changes that I can make.

To cut down on the guessing game, I was hoping for some feedback. Is there a best place to start with such changes? Any rhyme or reason on what to do first? If I wanted to bring the bars up (higher) and back (to the saddle) just a wee bit, what would be my best option - something like a 10 degree stem not flipped? using the stem I have (not flipped) and moving more spacers above the stem? shallow bars?

I've had the stem flipped down since I purchased the bike in 2006, but I've lost some flexibility since then due to a hip injury, so I need to make some adjustments. Thanks.