Adjusting handlebar height with spacers on Specialized Allez 2015 road bike

ticklytigger

Hi,

due to Corona, I've bitten the bullet and gotten used specialized allez road bike. It needs a little TLC, which means I'm learning a lot about components.

I'm 6ft / 183cm and the bike is a 56cm frame, so I'm right at the top end.

I'd like to raise the handle bars a little (already turned the stem around) and I'm thinking of doing it with another spacer.

How high can the handlebar go? Have a look at the attached pic to see where it currently sits.

I assume it's a standard 1 1/8 inch spacer I need?

Many thanks for your help!

Phil

ktuludays

your picture isn't showing but if you take the top cap off and undo the stem bolts you can shuffle the spacers around and have the stem, and bars obviously, higher up the stack. make sure you have at least one spacer above the stem between the top cap and stem.

ticklytigger

ktuludays said:

your picture isn't showing but if you take the top cap off and undo the stem bolts you can shuffle the spacers around and have the stem, and bars obviously, higher up the stack. make sure you have at least one spacer above the stem between the top cap and stem.

here's
the image again

Charlie_Croker

That’s better, at least we can see the image now.
I’m afraid your stem looks about as high as it can go (safely) in that picture. I’ve seen stem extenders out there in Internet land (eBay and the like), but I’ve never used one.

mrb123

As above, if you've flipped the stem and already got those spacers underneath then that's as far as it will go. You could rotate the bars back slightly to bring the hoods a bit up and closer to you.

Might just be a case of taking time to get used to the position - road bikes can feel pretty strange at first.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

http://yojimg.net/bike/web_tools/stem.php is a handy tool to stem length/angle change effects.

Something with a high angle such as https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/STPX3DF/planet-x-superlight-team-3d-forged-stem 110mm +17 degrees could raise the bars by 19mm compared to a 110mm +6 degrees.

arlowood

I agree with all the above - you don't have room to add another spacer without risking the clamping force of the stem being in the wrong place.

One alternative (though bordering on the fugly) is to buy another stem with a more acute angle

Specialized do a stem where you can vary the angle by using different shims up to a maximum of 24degrees

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/components/finishing-kit/specialized-comp-multi-24-degree-stem_318064

There are also extreme examples that will give you +30degrees but you may not need that
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-comp-4-axis-30d-stem-2020/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=102985843&kpid=102985843&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv|sQbNYlrw7_dc|mcrid|295292317327|mkw||mmt||mrd|102985843uk|mslid||&mkwid=sQbNYlrw7_dc&pcrid=295292317327&prd=102985843uk&pgrid=58852352866&ptaid=pla-576316353087&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJ_1BRBZEiwAv73uwLCz374RCbTb8N8dSzgzVVcJAkM5Ya-lIOyc0AUXsbhXFhVlt888aRoCRcIQAvD_BwE

ticklytigger

arlowood said:

I agree with all the above - you don't have room to add another spacer without risking the clamping force of the stem being in the wrong place.

One alternative (though bordering on the fugly) is to buy another stem with a more acute angle

Specialized do a stem where you can vary the angle by using different shims up to a maximum of 24degrees

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/components/finishing-kit/specialized-comp-multi-24-degree-stem_318064

There are also extreme examples that will give you +30degrees but you may not need that
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-comp-4-axis-30d-stem-2020/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=102985843&kpid=102985843&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+All+Products&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mckv|sQbNYlrw7_dc|mcrid|295292317327|mkw||mmt||mrd|102985843uk|mslid||&mkwid=sQbNYlrw7_dc&pcrid=295292317327&prd=102985843uk&pgrid=58852352866&ptaid=pla-576316353087&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJ_1BRBZEiwAv73uwLCz374RCbTb8N8dSzgzVVcJAkM5Ya-lIOyc0AUXsbhXFhVlt888aRoCRcIQAvD_BwE

Thanks! I'll check out the other stems