uncomfortable riding position

spacemonkey

hi all

i have a revolution courier. like title explains im having a real problem with uncomfortable riding position. i feel like the handle bars are to low campared to the seat height. simple solution is to lower seat height but its perfect for me (im pretty short) so do i buy i higher stem or spacers to bring the stem higher up the steering tube? any advice would be greatly appreciated.

if anybody has advice on a comfortable seat (bike is used for commuting and casual rides) that would also be great.

many thanks in advance
chris

gosport_commuter

It is possible to replace the stem with a shorter unit to bring your position in and more upright, and there are various other tweaks possible too.

any chance you could post a picture of it in its current state? sometimes there is a simple solution that a novice (excuse my impertinence) cannot spot as easy as some of us here could.

Hope this helps.

MichaelW

The best guide to fitting a bike is here.
The order of fit is pedals->sadle->bars.
Check your crank length to make sure it is suitable (170mm is med/normal, 175 is med/large)
Check your saddle position for layback and height so you have Knee over Pedal Spindle (KOPS) and when you put your heel on the pedal, you legs are fully extended (but you ride with the ball of your foot so are NEVER hyper-extended). This advice is to get you in the ballpark for someone without personal preferences.
With your saddle correct, you set your bars however you like. If you dont know your preference, get an adjustable stem to play with.
In my experience, height and reach are more or less interchangeable. If your bars feel too low they are probably too far and you need a shorter stem. A good, general purpose bar height is +-2" from the saddle line. Racier types prefer a lower position. Higher positions can reduce bike control.
You back angle and reach are inter-dependant. Low back=longer reach.

Handlebar shape can affect your reach , the stem doesn't work in isolation. For a std, med road bike bike, a stem of 10cm is normal, 8cm short and 12cm long. I am med but use 8cm.

The Courier is setup as a racy flat bar bike for messenger types. These usually replicate the position of an aggressive roadbike position, using flat bars.

spacemonkey

hi guys

thanks for the replies

@gosport_commuter im having a hard time to get 5 minutes to get pictures up but its a totally standard 17" frame. with all the stock parts.

will try and get pics asap

thanks once again for the help guys

regards
chris