Getting weight of my hands

mattjevans

I'm changing out my stem for something shorter, but in terms of moving the saddle if I want to take some weight of my hands do I:
a) move the saddle forward (and up?) to shorten the reach a touch and get me more upright; OR
b) move the saddle back to get more weight over the pedals/BB

Obviously I can play around but I'd like to start in the right direction...

waby1234

I'd experiment with that one a bit as I guess it depends on both your bike geometry and your riding style.

no9ismine

In generic terms, you want the seat low and forward so you don't have to lean forward and down so much. But agree with Waby about experimenting

omegas

If you're getting uncomfortable on longer rides, don't assume that a shorter stem is the necessarily answer. Sometimes a longer stem will better distribute your weight, or move the load on your upper body to stronger muscles.

Rise also has an effect on handling and comfort. The easiest way to experiment with stem height is to leave your fork steerer long and move the stem up and down it, using spacers. This doesn't always look great, but it's a lot cheaper than changing stems.

As little as 10mm on a new stem length can make a big difference in the handling character , I would only be changing the stem length for this reason.

mountaingoatimnot

Not that attractive, but always worth a try (especially if your LBS will trial fit in the shop) is an adjustable rise stem. They're about £25 but are a good way to try options before potentially buying a fixed angle stem

Twelly

omegas wrote:

The easiest way to experiment with stem height is to leave your fork steerer long and move the stem up and down it, using spacers. This doesn't always look great, but it's a lot cheaper than changing stems.

This