Originally Posted by
Michael Ar
I have been thinking about a shorter reach and/or taller stem even without moving the saddle back. I would like to get it as dialed in to my liking as I can as it sits and then decide. Unfortunately the bad shoulder makes judgement on comfort about impossible at the moment. Do you think it would be worthwhile to put an adjustable mtn type quill stem on to make it easier to play with different positions before making a final decision? in the end I would like to optimize the comfort for loaded touring rides.
Well, I'm primarily on C&V bikes with the classic quills and I have just switched them out since I like the look so much better. Not a trivial effort, I note carefully on a ride where I would like my grip to be (after absolute confirmation that I have the saddle exactly where I want it) and note the exact difference from what is currently on the bike, and order the closest size to get me there. Last winter I optimized the reach on my modern hybrid commuter and that was so much easier to do, not having to strip everything off the bars.