Shorter Stem?

MSByrne

Hi
I've got a Specialized Secteur road bike with a 58 inch frame, and while I'm 6ft 1, I initially felt really stretched out on the bike and had to reach out a long distance to grip the handlebars comfortably after I bought it. i was suffering quite a lot from back pain so, after twiddling with a lot of things, I ended up bringing the saddle as far forward as it goes to correct the issue.

I've only had the bike since may and it's my first road bike (I used a MTB before) but I found it helped a lot and the ride was more comfortable, yet recently riding longer distances I've started feeling a lot of pain in my shoulders and pressure on my wrists, as well as some back pain still lingering. I'm attributing this to (correct me if I'm wrong) the saddle being too far forward and thus having my weight distributed further in front of the pedals than necessary, putting strain on my upper body. Also, the back pain is still bad on long rides.

At the moment my bike has (I believe) a 110mm stem which is pretty standard, but I've been considering getting a shorter 90mm stem so I can move the saddle back a little and possibly feel a little more comfortable on the bike.

Sadly I can't afford a proper bike fitting but I asked at my LBS and they suggested flipping the stem upside down, but I'm not sure I like this idea because the Secteur is already designed with a relaxed geometry and a taller head tube than most road bikes, and this would serve to make the handlebars even higher.

I was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions as to what the problem may be (if my own diagnosis is flawed) and any solutions that I could use, for example a shorter stem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

optimisticbiker

have a read here... http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefitchart.html

then here... http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html

seanoconn

Flipping the stem might be worth while for your comfort, as the secteur has a relaxed geometry anyway, it won't make much difference. If its your first road bike, its quite possible you will become more flexible and the current stem will feel fine in a couple of months, so i'd be careful on forking out to much on a new stem.

Good luck.

Dan Ingram

I'd definitely try flipping the stem. I also have a Secteur and it worked a treat for me. Also the Secteur stem has an adjustable bush in it so that it can be adjusted 4 ways. You can try spinning the bush round first which will lift it up a bit then if it's not enough you can flip the stem over.

mallorcajeff

i had the same problem on my wilier and put the saddle as far forward as was reasonable, made a big difference then after a while bit more pain swapped the stem for a 90mm perfect. i bought a cheap 10£ one to try it out and today order of CRC a carbon wrap jobbie to match all my other carbon and if your quick they have them reduced from 80 odd to 25 quid. worth a punt and if not you can sell it for that after the sale is finished i woudl imagine. or be cheeky and and send it back for a refund but I would try it for a while and it will prob be better in my exp. then if not sell it you will loose very little certianly better than back pain.

MARKF

I've just bought a cheap(£17) 90mm stem from Wiggle for my Specialized Allez,original's 110mm.
I've also got the road bike after riding MTB's for years, and was'nt certain about road bike fitting.According to Specialized's website both a 52 & 54 cm frame fit me,are you sure you got the right size frame?I bought the 54 cm last year & been tweaking things since,I do'nt get backpain but shoulder pain & I think I'm to stretched out.
What I've read states that you get the saddle position sorted first & then adjust everything else.
What I've noticed is that when riding on the hoods with the 110 stem I do'nt grip hoods tightly but there's approx a 20 mm gap between the inside of my thumb & the hoods,so I think I'm to stretched forwards,do you have a gap there or are you gripping the hoods tightly?
One of the other things I've read is that you should be able to take your hands of the bars & not topple forwards,if you topple forwards then you've got to much weight on the front,it's best to try this on a turbo-trainer.
HTH

merak

MARKF wrote:

One of the other things I've read is that you should be able to take your hands of the bars & not topple forwards,if you topple forwards then you've got to much weight on the front,it's best to try this on a turbo-trainer.
HTH

Well you can sit up comfortably and that has nothing to do with stem length, but I don't see how you could comfortably ride with your hands just off the hoods with your torso still canted forward. In a good position quite a bit of your weight is taken through your arms, hands and the bars.

MSByrne

Thanks very much for the advice so far everyone!
When I go riding tomorrow I'll be sure to try flipping the stem and see if that makes much difference. I'm pretty certain a 58cm is the right size for me, as all the sizing guides I've seen said that it's ideal for my height and the lady at my LBS told me that it would definitely be fine, but I definitely feel stretched out.

I can't really grip the brake hoods tightly, in fact I never really hold my hoods because it's too uncomfortable to stretch that far, instead I usually hold the bar a couple of inches back from the hoods, where the bend in the bar is. Could this problem also have anything to do with handlebar angle?

I went out on a shortish ride yesterday but I wasn't pushing at all and I really started to feel the pain in my back, shoulders and wrists because I wasn't concentrating much on my actual riding. I'm sure my posture probably has something to do with it too, I guess more time on the road bike will help me start to feel more comfortable!

Peddle Up!

You can also buy a cheap secondhand stem on eBay, then flog it afterwards once you're sorted.

Manc33

The stem on my new Triban 3 is the same, its 120mm or something.

I think I need a really stubby stem like a MTB one.

If I reduce the stem from 120mm to say 30mm then I can put the seat back in the middle again and the bars will still be 70mm closer. Seriously thats how far away they are for me, like a full 5cm+ too far away.

My neck feels like I have done 100 push ups.

5'10" with 32" inside leg riding, you guessed it, a 57.

A 54 frame would be too small for me, the 57 looks small (but doesn't feel it) but the reach is only gonna be any use to an orangutan! 120mm stem + 50mm hoods = it feels like the bike is controlling me.

EDIT: I need a 60mm road stem, if exist. I measured my old Pennine tourer from the middle of the stem where it connects to the bars, to the middle of the seat post in a straight line - 630mm and the Triban 3 (with seat in the middle roughly where it should be) is 690mm.

So I need a 60mm stem on it as opposed to 120mm. It might be even worse than this because the hoods are really long these days, plus the bars themselves are bigger.... I bet a 40mm or 50mm would be about right.

Funny, but the Pennine frame is definitely a bit too small for me and its a 54 which is why I got the 57.

Not sure why they call the Triban 3 a "57" since nothing on it measures 57cm. From middle of bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube where it joins the middle of the top tube = under 50cm!

Paul E

I had a sectuer in a 56, it had from memory a 110mm stem on it, it's the top tube you should be worried about not the seat tube height as you can easily alter the seat height but not the reach and also be aware about moving the seat forwards too much as you will put extra strain on your knee and the muscles and tendons around it if you put yourself in the wrong position

dartmoorscottydog

I had a secteur in 58 and I am also 6 ft 1. Never got comfortable with the position and also tried flipping the stem. Out one day for a shortish (15 mile) when suddenly got severe pain between my shoulder blades followed an hour or so later by pain shooting down my arm. To cut a long story short had managed to prolapse a disc in my neck!! Six weeks off my bike and pain I would not not wish to have again - luckily all mended now and no sequelae. What have I learnt?
Short-lasting discomfort when starting out as a roadie is probably to be expected - long-lasting discomfort is your body trying to tell you something.
A bike fit is always a good idea - if you think you need it you probably do!
While the secteur is reasonably upright the top tube seems long - I now have a 'dale supersix and curiously find it much more comfortable although it is undoubtedly racier!!
A shorter stem may be better for you but slightly alters the feel of the steering.

Good luck and hope you get the pain sorted

Paul E

dartmoorscottydog wrote:

I had a secteur in 58 and I am also 6 ft 1. Never got comfortable with the position and also tried flipping the stem. Out one day for a shortish (15 mile) when suddenly got severe pain between my shoulder blades followed an hour or so later by pain shooting down my arm. To cut a long story short had managed to prolapse a disc in my neck!! Six weeks off my bike and pain I would not not wish to have again - luckily all mended now and no sequelae. What have I learnt?
Short-lasting discomfort when starting out as a roadie is probably to be expected - long-lasting discomfort is your body trying to tell you something.
A bike fit is always a good idea - if you think you need it you probably do!
While the secteur is reasonably upright the top tube seems long - I now have a 'dale supersix and curiously find it much more comfortable although it is undoubtedly racier!!
A shorter stem may be better for you but slightly alters the feel of the steering.

Good luck and hope you get the pain sorted

That's what I found, the head tube is massive but the top tube is very lengthy, I am more comfy on my old alu 54cm trek that has a minimal head tube and one 5mm spacer above the head set