adjustable stems, anyone use one ?

stumpym4

Cant get comfortable on my bike , tried a few different stems but still need to be higher at the front and have no more room for anymore spacers, was thinking about changing the frame to one with a longer head tube but then i thought a adjustable stem may be the best bet to at least get comfortable and then get a stem within that ball park ?
i know they arent pretty, but needs must with getting older/fatter etc !

janwal

Hi,if you want to try one I have one, as new that I bought for same reason.£10 posted
Email me at j.walter at ntlworld.com.

bbrap

You can get steerer tube extenders which might do the trick.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bhp-22-stee ... e-extender

stumpym4

bbrap wrote:

You can get steerer tube extenders which might do the trick.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bhp-22-stee ... e-extender

Did look at them but onto a full carbon fork with carbon steerer i dont fancy that !

gmacz

I have the same problem with my defy and now tcr.
I just spin the handlebars up to the point that they are in the perfect position.
Here is a slighty blurry pic of the tcr.

Works well and I never care what it looks like and no one has ever commented on it.
It allows me to enjoy the bike that I could never use in normal position and allows me to actually own one.

keezx

I use a Pro adjustable on my winterbike because the frame is a bit small for me.
Rocksolid piece, get one if that solves your fitting problem.

The Rookie

Why would you change the frame for one with a longer headtube, that won't help, you need a fork with a longer steerer if anything!

johngti

Re changing the position of the bars/hoods, i had a similar thing done at my bike fit. I don't think it looks bad at all! Stem was changed to 90mm from 100, also lowered my position at the front by flipping the stem back down. Have to say that my neck and hand pain was significantly reduced as a result. Might be worth a go?

timothyw

You can get stems with pretty steep angles, eg:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-bhs-25-high ... size-stem/

Ironically enough, I bought one recently to lower the front of my Fuji which had too tall a head tube for my tastes.

I'd avoid adjustable stems because at best they will be markedly heavier than regular stems, and at worst weaker and a potential point of failure.

There's a good tool here to compare the difference stems/spacers can make:
http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php

smoggysteve

I hate to be the one that tells you this and I understand there will be an extra financial burden but I suggest you cut your losses and buy a new bike that fits you better. Chasing ghosts looking for a more comfortable setup on an ill fitting bike will just effect your enjoyment of just riding. Better to just nip it in the bud and find something that is comfortable and enjoyable to ride. You could end up causing yourself an injury if you keep fettling with an unworkable position.

johngti

SmoggySteve wrote:

I hate to be the one that tells you this and I understand there will be an extra financial burden but I suggest you cut your losses and buy a new bike that fits you better. Chasing ghosts looking for a more comfortable setup on an ill fitting bike will just effect your enjoyment of just riding. Better to just nip it in the bud and find something that is comfortable and enjoyable to ride. You could end up causing yourself an injury if you keep fettling with an unworkable position.

This too. It's what I ended up doing for a winter bike (now a defy 0). Tried a few before that, none of them could be made to fit.

iPete

Depends how bad you think the current fit is. You seem to have enough bikes to hopefully have some idea of what fit works best for you.

If it's close then perhaps Specialized Hover Handlebars and or a Specialized Multi Stem would get you there.

rolf_f

The Rookie wrote:

Why would you change the frame for one with a longer headtube, that won't help, you need a fork with a longer steerer if anything!

Nope, you've lost me! Why wouldn't a longer head tube achieve much the same as a fork with a longer steerer?

svetty

Alternatively work on your core strength and flexibility so as to be comfortable in a non-extreme position on the bike?

svetty

gmacz wrote:

......no one has ever commented on it......

Really??

bbrap

Rolf F wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

Why would you change the frame for one with a longer headtube, that won't help, you need a fork with a longer steerer if anything!

Nope, you've lost me! Why wouldn't a longer head tube achieve much the same as a fork with a longer steerer?

I think he was trying to say that a new fork would be cheaper than a new frame and fork.

smoggysteve

Rolf F wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

Why would you change the frame for one with a longer headtube, that won't help, you need a fork with a longer steerer if anything!

Nope, you've lost me! Why wouldn't a longer head tube achieve much the same as a fork with a longer steerer?

Quite simply because every time to add a longer stem , regardless of the angle upnor down you are stretching out to an uncomfortable angle. If you have a higher starting point for the stem you can have a shorter stem at the right height and more importantly you are at a comfortable position behind the stem. Why do you think endurance bikes have longer head tubes over more aggressive bikes? Sit up and beg puts less pressure on the back shoulders and hips

rolf_f

SmoggySteve wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

Why would you change the frame for one with a longer headtube, that won't help, you need a fork with a longer steerer if anything!

Nope, you've lost me! Why wouldn't a longer head tube achieve much the same as a fork with a longer steerer?

Quite simply because every time to add a longer stem , regardless of the angle upnor down you are stretching out to an uncomfortable angle. If you have a higher starting point for the stem you can have a shorter stem at the right height and more importantly you are at a comfortable position behind the stem. Why do you think endurance bikes have longer head tubes over more aggressive bikes? Sit up and beg puts less pressure on the back shoulders and hips

Maybe I'm missing something..... the question is why a taller head tube does not achieve the same thing as a taller stem. The only difference (all else being geometrically the same) is how many spacers you have on top of the head tube. There is no higher starting point for the stem (unless you need a stack of spacers on top of the taller head tube as well!).

smoggysteve

I for one would like to see a pic of the op's bike. I am guessing the fork has been cut and slammed or close to it. In which case the only way to bring the bars up would be using a stem with a massive angle. This would need to be quite long ergo it stretches you out more. If it were at a ridiculously steep angle the actual steering would be terrible. Back to the point of if its been cut down and the op can't get comfortable then its best to get a new bike. If in the other hand the steerer tube has not been cut and the op still has issues then it must be too small a frame so again new bike. You can't just stick any stem on and think problem solved. It effects your whole sitting angle and weight distribution. Plus if its at an impossibly steep upward angle possibly dangerous

rolf_f

SmoggySteve wrote:

I for one would like to see a pic of the op's bike. I am guessing the fork has been cut and slammed or close to it. In which case the only way to bring the bars up would be using a stem with a massive angle. This would need to be quite long ergo it stretches you out more. If it were at a ridiculously steep angle the actual steering would be terrible.

I also don't really get how the angle of the adjustable stem matters. The measurements that matter are how high the bars are and how forward of the virtual steerer tube the bars are. Whether the steerer goes in a straight line from the top of the head tube to the bars or heads straight back to a relatively uncut steerer can't make much difference as long as the bars end up in the same place. I would imagine that you can't get conventional stems of that steep an angle but adjustable ones can do so and are often very steeply set up on Dutch bikes.

Garry H

Just turn the stem so that it points backwards, then reattach the handlebars the right way round. Job done.

iPete

SmoggySteve wrote:

I for one would like to see a pic of the op's bike. I am guessing the fork has been cut and slammed or close to it. In which case the only way to bring the bars up would be using a stem with a massive angle.

A good way to add 15mm without a crazy stem angle;
http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Specia ... -Rise/ETJT?

If feeling particularly bling the S-Works Aerofly version are 25mm.

smoggysteve

iPete wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

I for one would like to see a pic of the op's bike. I am guessing the fork has been cut and slammed or close to it. In which case the only way to bring the bars up would be using a stem with a massive angle.

A good way to add 15mm without a crazy stem angle;
http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Specia ... -Rise/ETJT?

If feeling particularly bling the S-Works Aerofly version are 25mm.

25mm is a small adjustment to a bike thats close to a good fit. If you are really struggling to get comfortable it is probably nowhere near enough.

gmacz

Some people due to back problems cannot use a normal setup on a bike or any bike.
There are no bikes that fit, they all must be modified at the front to straighten out the back, extrene stems are the normal remedy but an easy way is spin the bars until it sits in the right place.
You either leave it in this position or modify to this height.
The difference between defy and tcr is a little more spin on the bars to match defy settings.
It means you can buy and use a tcr because you wanted one.
I wonder if the poster has this problem, I use extreme stem on the mtb.

smoggysteve

gmacz wrote:

The difference between defy and tcr is a little more spin on the bars to match defy settings.

Um its a lot more than that. The TCR is a hell of a lot more aggressive than a Defy (especially in current incarnation) it has a lot shorter wheelbase and has a much shorter head tube. A Defy is a lot more sit up and beg. They may look quite similar but ride very differently. I love the TCR but quite dislike the Defy.

gmacz

I have both and in terms of fit, that is all that was needed. I still use both bikes and the compact bars on the tcr basically shorten the longer frame. Put both bikes side by side and pedals, seat and now bar height all match.

rampax

I too always struggle with cycling comfort, for various reasons.
I find with any bike the first thing I need to do is shorten / raise the stem.
My last bike (a Felt Z5) came with a long Felt VA stem which you could turn upside down but also you could play with an internal shim to change the angle, which I thought was very neat. I think Specialized use a similar system on their endurance bikes.
Ultimately though I still ended up replacing it with a considerably shorter 80mm one as the reach was just a tad too far for me. Sure, it doesn't look as cool as the long one, but it's a heck of a lot kinder to my back.