Originally Posted by
revelstone
thanks T-Mar for clearing that up for me. i like knowing a little history of the bike. i am still working on cleaning in up. i still need a new front tire and new tape for the handle bars. and i have to find a tool to take apart the bottom bracket. actually one to get the cranks off so i can lube the bottom bracket. no telling when or if it's ever been lubed since leaving Asia. but i ride it almost every day. the only complaint is i'm sure it's too big for me. when i stand over the top bar flat footed, well, it aint something i want to do more than 2 seconds. the seat is lowered as far as it will go. when i pedal my legs never get quite straight, and i dont think they should. and i wish i could raise the stem a bit. i'm not racing it i'm riding it. all that being said, i love this bike and love riding it. big change from my old mountain bike.
Yes, it sounds a bit big. Typically, you should have some clearance when straddling the crossbar. Saddle height should be adjusted so that the leg is just straight when the pedal is at the bottom it's stroke and your heel is on the pedal. That way, the proper knee bend will result when you place the ball of foot over the pedal spindle. Please note that these are basic, ballpark, set-up instructions.
You should be able to adjust the height of the stem. At the top of the stem's elbow there will be a bolt, either a nexagonal recess (6mm most common) or a protruding hexagonal head (1/2" or 13mm most common). Loosen the bolt with the proper wrench. Pull up on the stem with a twisting motion, If it does not budge, loosen the bolt a bit further, so that it protrudes about 1/4" above the stem. Sharply wrap the end of the bolt with a rubber mallet. This will drive the bolt down and loosen the wedge at the end of the bolt. Now pull the stem out. About 2" from the bottom of the stem will be a set of hash lines. These are the minimum insertion marks and the stem should always be inserted far enough to hide these marks. Before you insert the stem, apply grease to prevent galvanic reaction of the aluminum with the steel dteering tube of the fork.