AdvXtrm

As others have said over the years, the bar position on the Novara - Safari is just too low for comfort, and for me they are also too low for properer maneuvering and use. Now other than this one thing I absolutely love this bike, and will not return it over an issue that I can reasonably remedy myself. I'm aware that some people have simply flipped the bars over and that worked good for them, but that's not going to work for me, so please don't bring it up. Since I'm swapping the stock bar out for another one anyways, this is the time to make any other necessary changes to get it setup and positioned the way I want. The new bar is of similar shape, size, and design, so either way the needed positional changes and adjustments will be identical.

The first thing I need to try and settle on is exactly how much of a raise is required to get the bars to the place of comfort and usage I'm looking for. It's been hard for me to really simulate exactly what that amount of raise would need to be, so it looks like I'll just have to go with my best guess on it; maybe about 3.5 – 4”?

Since my new bars are 31.8mm as opposed to the thinner 25.4 or whatever size they are replacing, I'm going to have to buy a new stem no matter what. My questions regarding this are; should I try and get a stem that has enough rise and length on it’s own to get the bar where I want it, which seems to make the most sense to me, or should I get a flatter stem (little to no rise), and use a stem-riser instead, or some combination thereof? What are the advantages or disadvantages in these methods?

What I've discovered as others have making this change; the stock cables are far too short for any substantial raising of the bars. So that means a lot more work than would have otherwise been required to get the job done, especially for a n00b like myself that's never worked with cables like this before.

I'm good mechanically speaking, so I thankfully I won't be needing to pay someone else to screw it up for me, I'll just do that all on my own thank you very much! But seriously, I've got this, I just need the right info before I get started on it.

What items will be needed to complete the cable change. Of course appropriate wire, sheathing, and ferules, but what else?

Are kits like these a good way to do it? Would these be compatible with my bike, or do I need something with different specifications?

Standard Alligatorilink MTB Gear Kit:
https://www.alligatorcables.com/produ...le-kit-02.html

Standard Alligatorilink MTB Brake Kit:
Alligatorilink Brake Kit - Bike Brake Cables Company

Any helpful suggestions or advice on how to get this done will be appreciated!

Happy Feet

Have you considered something like this Deda ADJ Adjustable Stem | ProBikeKit Canada

Fits your bars and allows you to adjust to your liking.

phughes

Can you get a new fork with an uncut steerer tube? This is exactly why I specified an uncut steerer when I bough my LHT. I am not sure they have one available for the Safari, but it would be worth checking. If you can't find a fork, a stem riser may be your only option if you can't get the bars where you want them with a stem.

I don't care for adjustable stems, but one with more of a rise would help. Below are some links that can help you compare various stem lengths and angles. Good luck!

Walter's Bicycle Stem Rise/Reach Calculator

Habanero Cycles Stem Chart

Stem Comparison Tool | yojimg.net

Happy Feet

Preference aside, if you use a riser you will probably need a longer stem as there will be a setback due to the steerer angle. I think a little less with an adjustable one. Perhaps the op could borrow one to determine how much rise he needs before committing to an expensive mod?

fietsbob

I bought one of these, When In a similar situation, wiggle.com | BBB BHP-20/21 Stem Extender | Oversize Stems

Mr Pink57

Flip the bars?

AdvXtrm

You missed this part,

"I'm aware that some people have simply flipped the bars over and that worked good for them, but that's not going to work for me, so please don't bring it up."

AdvXtrm

OK, thanks for the info and links. It seems like the best bet is, that since I can't really know what I'll end up with until after making the purchase and install, and I need to allow for as much flexibility as possible, to go with an adjustable stem and an adjustable riser together. This way I should have a pretty good chance of being able to dial it in to where I want it with a dummy-install, and also select appropriate lengths for the new cables and such for the actual install itself. How's that sound?

Also, any guidance on the specs I need to look for in the new cables that I buy?

fietsbob

Look at the end type of the Cables .. Brake Road is pear shaped MTB barrel shaped

Gear cables wit the exception of Campagnolo is all the same

Asking for 'Tandem Length'... Gets You Longer cables ..