Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.

New: Take Part in the new April's Giveaway for a Chance to Win the Euybike S4 Pro Max ebike worth $1299


Adjustable stems for short arms on road bike
#1
I have a Trek 1.2 road bike with a 56 cm frame . I'm 5' 9" tall and I'm comfortable with the seat height and stand over but my arms are rather short for my torso and I feel it's too much of a reach to the handle bars. I'm considering an adjustable stem in order to bring the handle bars closer thereby shortening the reach. Raising the stem angle would put me in a more upright position but that's ok. Is an adjustable stem, or at least one with a higher angle, the way to go or are there other options to shorten the reach? If using an adjustable stem at a higher angle is the solution would I want a longer stem length or a shorter one?

  Reply
#2
An adjustable stem will give you the chance to play around with the position. But probably better just to get a shorter stem. The adjustable ones are heavy and don't give you as much change as you might expect. You can get standard stems in a variety of lengths and heights.

First thing is to try to figure out where your hands should be. Maybe try going to a shop and sit on a few bikes. If you find one that feels good, measure from the seatpost clamp to the bars to figure out what length you need. You've also got to decide if you just want your hands closer or also higher. Then get the right size stem.
Short term fixes - push your seat forward a little, see if flipping your current stem over will raise your hands enough to feel better.

If this is your first aggressive road bike in a while, you might just give it a little time to adjust. But proper bike fit is tricky and should be done carefully, especially if you have any knee, back, etc. issues. Ask around at rides if anyone knows a shop with a guy who is good at it. Most shop employees know next to nothing about proper fit.
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads...

Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
1987 Tommaso Alloy lugged frame
Today 10:06 AM
Food after late training ride
Yesterday 02:48 PM
Injury Recovery
Yesterday 08:20 AM
RECOMMENDATION
04-24-2025 04:24 PM
New Member
04-24-2025 03:31 PM
2011 GT Tachyon upgrade/mod
04-24-2025 08:45 AM
Doctors are Prescribing Cycling
04-23-2025 09:50 PM
What was your first bicycle?
04-23-2025 09:17 PM
New Rider Here — Momo + Viribus = Ready ...
04-23-2025 09:15 PM
The great thing about trikes
04-23-2025 03:47 AM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. GirishH
24 posts
no avatar 2. SPINMAN
14 posts
no avatar 3. meamoantonio
13 posts
no avatar 4. Flowrider
12 posts
no avatar 5. Painkiller
11 posts