Noonievut

I have a road bike that is already a pretty upright geometry. It's a steel frame, custom geometry. I can ride hours with no fit-related issues. I had a fitting last year to confirm things still dialed in (new saddle), and after making a few changes I feel even better.

I have a 6-week old gravel bike that I've ridden about 500k on paved roads. Even in summer, it's more of an all-surface bike that will see a mix of paved roads, rail trails and gravel roads (with 5% or less of surfaces being gnarly). I'm trying to get this gravel bike to fit as well as my road bike. I feel pretty close after getting new bars, and I'm wondering what change to make next, if any. I've had a fitting with this gravel bike and fitter aware of slight differences but we're giving it time, plus being a gravel bike he thought it should be more upright in any case.

Road bike has 10mm longer reach, and 10mm bigger drop (saddle to bars). Saddle setback is the same. Hard to measure seat height as the road bike has 172.5 cranks with SPD-SL pedals, and the gravel bike 170 cranks and SPD pedals...and of course different shoes. Legs all good so far on both bikes so I'm more interested in dialing in reach so that my upper body is as comfortable as possible.

I can easily move a 10mm spacer to lower the bars and see how that goes. Though I may wait to do this after I've done more riding, and had both bikes out on the road for weeks (not just the road bike indoors). I can get a longer stem, but I want to avoid doing this unless I know it instantly clicks.