Just a few questions...

rackgaki

ive just about sorted this now, because my saddle rails were bent in the saddle had gone even further backwards because of the way the rails bent. Being an idiot ive now forced the saddle rails out a bit and gained a bit more saddle room, ive also rotated the bars a bit backwards which has also helped. So riding position improved, might still go for a shorter stem though

Anonymous

Try and post a pic of you on your bike, side on.
You can blur your face if you want anonimity.

delcol

what pedals do you use..

i used to struggle to get off the back of the bike when i was running spds. converted to flats and don't have any issues now...
i think it was a confidence thing...

i have since put a shorter stem and wider bars on my bike and that allows me to get even further off the bike.

bluechair84

Try shifting the saddle forwards to give you a bit more clearance. If the bike has big risers then something with a little less forward throw would do the same job as a new stem... But that idea is really superceded by the stem replacement... try a new stem.

I never liked previous Marin incarnations because I always felt like I was perched atop the bike, rather than sat 'inside it'. It always felt like a balancing act - after playing around with a small and medium I decided I just didin't like the feel of Marins. I just couldn't manouver around on it as well as other bikes.

rackgaki

yeah im going to get a shorter stem, I do what you mean about the marins riding position but now ive grown to like it, its quite upight and high but it does make the bike pretty agile i think anyway

rackgaki

what length stem should I go for, at the moment im running a 130mm number. How much smaller should go and any suggestions on a nice stem?

bluechair84

rackgaki wrote:

what length stem should I go for, at the moment im running a 130mm number. How much smaller should go and any suggestions on a nice stem?

Bloody hell! There it is...

Try an 80mm. See if you can borrow some stems to try a few different lengths, or get a couple as cheap as you can find before you stump up for the Thompson .

rackgaki

yeah hadn't really noticed how long the stem was before, and by the way its long but it might not be quite that long, how are stems measured? I assume its just the length from end to end down the middle.

Chaz.Harding

IIRC, the stems are measured by centre of steerer tube, to centre of handlebars.

It's all 'theoretical' measurements, so you struggle to measure accurately. It's why alot of manufacturers stamp / print / laser / etch it on they're stems!