State of the Bike Address:
Was feeling less and less comfortable with such a high handle bar on my Raleigh Route 4.0, especially after replacing the stock saddle with an Imperial; the bumps were going right to my spine and I was considering several options.........flat handlebar, adjustable stem, sprung saddle, suspension seatpost, new bike, etc. In desperation I flipped my stem over and placed two of the stem spacers above the newly flipped stem, lowering the handlebar maybe 3 inches or more......viola! pain gone!
Now my handlebars are maybe 2 inches above the seat level and things feel really good.
Add ons so far:
XLC mtb pedals (bike shop swapped for free)
Velo O half clips
Imperial saddle
shiny copper bell (is this a sign of Fredliness?)
rear pannier rack
Ergon GP5 grips
Pretty comfortable for my 20-30 mile rides.