No thoughts on the stem, but I dig the double kickstand. Is that a Pletscher?
2010-08-09 14:55:26
21
Stem advice for my urban bike
This is my bike.
I am replacing the stem with a 17 degree rise and I am debating on what length I should go with. The stem on there now is 110mm with a 6 degree rise and I was having some back pain. I seemed to have solved that by moving my seat back a little but I want to get my reach right without having to fudge my saddle position.
If I were going with the same rise I would just go with a longer stem, but I don't know what effect the new rise will have on my reach.
Thoughts?
2010-08-09 14:48:04
It is! I really like it but fears of me crushing the frame prevents me from really tightening it, so it keeps turning a little bit.
2010-08-09 15:25:17
I have no advice, but I just wanted to say that I love your bike.
2010-08-09 15:28:14
A higher rise will shorten the reach, so you'll want a longer stem.
2010-08-09 15:29:10
The nose of your saddle looks a mite high, could be the photo, but it might be tilting your pelvis back, just a thought.
Gorgeous bike.
2010-08-09 16:00:24
edmonds59, That's an older photo, the saddle is at a new improved angle now.
Thanks for the comments and help. I love the bike too, she's getting a little heavy but can haul a ton of weight and not feel like it's going to rip itself apart and it's fun to cruise to the coffee shop with.
2010-08-09 16:15:24
I'd love to see that and RubberFactory's bike side-by-side. Blue heaven.
2010-08-09 18:01:43
sadly, my bike is dying. creaky, bad tire rims, STEEL tire rims (god help me if it rains), gears acting weird...and since winter's coming up, I'm in the process of buying a used mountain bike for the snow until I can afford to buy a good road bike for non-snow months.
2010-08-09 20:39:12
I find that I can keep minor back issues in check with doing some abdominal strengthening exercises. Abdominal tilts and upper ab crunches help. It might not be the bike at all, but rather core body strength imbalances.
2010-08-09 20:40:41
A guy at the Seersucker Saunter had a blue bike that looked a lot like yours, RF. Blue, blue, blue. Did you let someone borrow it Sun?
2010-08-09 21:09:29
Ha, that was my friend Andy. I was sure to tell him that I know of a bike even more blue than his; he was skeptical until Dan told him that even the chain is blue...
Although his bike is (relatively) kind of blue, it can go for Miles...
2010-08-09 21:24:06
I have the stock 120mm/17 degree stem that came on my LHT sitting in a box taking up space. I'd gladly loan it to you indefinitely to try out a 120 or you can just keep it if it works for you. I believe the clamp is 26mm, but not sure
I have a shorter 17 degree stem laying around, too.
I'm in Lawrenceville.
2010-08-09 21:29:48
my chain isn't blue, I never got to make it 100%. Oh well. My next bike will not have two components the same color. It will be obnoxious and I will love it.
Sorry for the thread derailment.
2010-08-09 21:31:12
dooftram, I would love to give it a trial run. I will be in touch.
2010-08-09 21:41:54
"Although his bike is (relatively) kind of blue, it can go for Miles..."
Oh, man, verry nice.
2010-08-09 21:49:11
@noah Although his bike is (relatively) kind of blue, it can go for Miles...
you know, riding to dc is one of my favorite things, and on the way back, i just hop on the trane.
2010-08-10 05:09:20
i made the switch from a 120mm 15 degree rise to a much shorter (80?) much steeper (45?) rise and have been nothing but pleased, didn't change my saddle at all. my back is so happy.
2010-08-10 06:42:56
Sent you a PM dooftram.
2010-08-10 13:33:43
@noah Although his bike is (relatively) kind of blue, it can go for Miles...
you know, riding to dc is one of my favorite things, and on the way back, i just hop on the trane.
2010-08-10 15:13:05
This chart might help with making an estimation. It looks like adding 11 degrees to the stem angle will get you about 2cm of rise but should only shorten reach by less than half a cm (if I'm interpreting it correctly).
2010-08-10 16:10:04