Originally Posted by
Sojodave
I've been obsessing over this issue this entire Spring. I had a fit last year, didn't change anything, but this year I am having neck issues. I'm 6'4" and ride a 61 cm frame with a 130 stem. I've tried a 120 stem, tried a 140 stem, back to 130 stem and I finally did something I didn't think I would have to do. DUM, DUM, DA, DUmmmmmm, I went nuclear and flipped my stem up.
I know, I won't win any Hot or Not contest and my bike doesn't look as cool as it did. However, my neck pain is gone and I am much more comfortable. I haven't had neck issues before and I tried to concentrate on my form and my saddle is the correct height. I'm not a racer, I'm an endurance rider and I have a 140-mile charity ride coming up in June. I guess my advice is comfort is the most important thing when it comes to cycling and find what works best for you.
Do you ride with a visor or cap? It could be that you’re craning your neck more than you need to. If you follow trends with eyewear, you’ll notice how high lenses have gotten. This is because people riding in a lower position are looking through their eyebrows. It could also be that you have a very short neck, which make sure it harder to sustain a certain neck angle.
Also, depending on your body and bike geometry, flipping the stem may not be as “nuclear” as you may think. Compared to some “racers” of your height and proportion (look at saddle height), what is your drop, and what is your reach?
For reference, most people I ride (race) with have somewhere between 2 and 5 inches of drop. Reach is harder to estimate but if you can get into your drops and keep your elbows bent for a significant period of time, then I think the reach is good.