Originally Posted by
c_m_shooter
You kind of need to know where you want be compared to what is on there now. The reach is measured from the center of the quill to center of the bars. For diameter, I would order the 26mm and a 25.4-26mm shim just to be safe either way if I didn't have a way to measure. The bars on your bike have a very long reach (and look to be set up kind of funky), so that is a consideration on the length. Most people want to be leaned forward about 45 degrees when seated with hands on the hoods. Remember that as you raise the stem it will also shorten the effective reach of the cockpit a little bit. I have been riding long enough that I know what length I am going to need from the back of the saddle to my controls (drop bar or flat bar makes no difference), that makes setting up a new bike pretty straight forward.
OK thank you so much for these suggestions, I want a more upright riding position for now until I lose the weight I want, I'm preparing for Bariatic surgery in November, I expect to lose at least 100 pounds which will and should help considerably with my joint aches and pains and my back hopefully. I'm 52 and I'm no longer interested in riding in a downward position, even though I have this amazing top of the line road bike I have no real future intentions of riding it in a competition or long distance racing format, and want the handlebars still to be drop bars but high enough that I don't get a sore back riding. Hopefully next Spring/Summer once a good amount of weight has come off and I can get back on the roads to ride I hope to be able to comfortably ride several miles at one time. Working myself up to much longer rides will take time as I also have a form of Exercise induced Asthma so I really have a lot of work to do in order to get my body feeling healthy again. I think I'll show the LBS this Quill stem you showed me and ask their opinion on what reach I would need to be comfortable riding it. I don't trust my beginner level repair and fixing up skills to do any major work on the this bike so I'm going to have my LBS do a tune up on the bike and will ask them at this time for some guidance on the right reach for this Quill stem. Thank you again so much for this info. I'm still learning all this bike repair jargon and learning how to do everything, it's a slow process to understand all the mechanics.