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.

https://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.

This should help. https://www.habcycles.com/fitting.html

The stem you have now creates an extreme change of height (around 6cm) and is also about 2cm shorter in horizontal length when flipped up.

Thanks Dave. Time to put on my geometry hat!

Ride the bike more. You will figure out what you want to do. You already know you want to raise the bar so raise it and ride then do what feels right.