volosong

Nassa, nobody has answered your question yet. Without seeing your seat clamp, it's a safe bet that all you need is an allen wrench of the correct size. They are pretty standard. If you want to be anal about it, you'll need a torque wrench too. Personally, I never bothered with a torque wrench and have yet to crack a carbon seat post.

UCIMBZ

A red one.

canam73

Did Adam and Eve have navels?

Fiery

I'd say consult another fitter.

I know the great, late Sheldon also promoted an arched back, but it seems the majority of fitters in general recommend a flat back and forward tilted pelvis. From personal experience, I also find the flat back approach far preferable to the curved back.

Nassa

Thanks voloson I was too worried or anal and got a torque wrench.
i decided to lower the saddle by .5 cm, we will see how that goes.
for hose hat suggested lower he saddle, what should I feel to see if it is better?

Nassa

What do you mean tilted pelvis?

lazerzxr

You got that right. Ive never read a thread with so much dribble in it.

110mm stems indicate frames too small, you must be on a 120 or 130 - BWAHAHAHAHA. you better tell the manufacturers which ship basically every bike with a 110 stem then, they are doing it wrong.

Am I the only one that has noticed the people raving on about long stems also use crazy setback seatposts which no bike manufacturer actualy supplies with their bikes? The two go hand in hand. If thats the way YOU want to ride thats fine, I do it myself, but you cant tell eveyone else they are wrong for using stock equipment!!

and comfort bikes must have loads of reach, you better tell TREK engineers this quick as they are currently making their H2 fit frames with shorter top tubes.

I think there are a few experts here that got the wrong size frame and have been preaching about fit ever since to justify it to the world and make themselves feel better.

Seriously, just ride your bike with any stem that is comfortable 90 - 130 is absolutely fine

If someone else is comfortable on a 90 mm stem and you ride a 130mm, get over it!!

UCIMBZ

The whole notion of buying a bike set up by the manufacturer is for the lack of a better word ass backwards. In an ideal situation no one should accept a bike the way it comes from a manufacturer. Every person should be able to start with a suitable frame and then building it up with suitable peripherals.Riding a bike is the most intimate relationship between man and machine and your bike should be yours and yours only built the way you feel good and comfortable about it.

UCIMBZ

Now you are being silly.

rbart4506

And that is what my wife and I both have done...including a 100mm stem

canam73

Now? What was the give away?

lazerzxr

Thats what I love about fit threads, people tell you to ride what is comfortable, before insisting on what that is and should be. different size stems exist to allow you to fit a bike to your particular proportions, just like moving the seat up and down. Its as simple as that. No standard "as shipped" bike is likely to fit me, I have to adjust things and if that means using a 100mm stem, that is just as valid as using a 130mm stem.

The 130mm stem police are just trying to copy their pro heros, its pathetic.

One of these "experts" has previously posted that your reach should be within 20mm of a "common pro" of the same height. Utterly laughable!!

Lets see now - Andy schleck 6'1" and 635mm from saddle nose to bar centre, Andy Pinfold 6'2" and 600mm from saddle to bar centre. Both are significantly accomplished athletes and bear no resemblence to eachother and certainly not to me! Interestingly Schleck also has more saddle set back AND a higher seat AND 35mm more reach yet is overall an inch shorter! Maybe these guys are not common enough or maybe they are doing it wrong too. At the TDU this year there were a number of riders i noticed using short stems and spacers, one guy even had his stem flipped up. Are they wrong too? Could our fit "experts" sort those huys out from half a photo and large dose of ego?

All I know is that when these fit "experts" start their post with things like "what most people dont understand" what it means is "im going to ignore your question completely and preach to you about my long stem becasue there is a vague chance you may possibly listen and it will help me with complex about short stems"

UCIMBZ

I am 100% with you. There is no shame in riding a frame that doesn't fit you. That is why there are all these 90mm, 100mm and 110mm stems. After all it is a lot cheaper to change a stem than a frame.

lazerzxr

you better tell a large proprtion of the pro peloton that they are on the wrong size bike then with all those 110mm stms that are knocking around

Campag4life

You are referring to me which is fine. I quote Pro specs as an 'example' based upon rider size. Yes there is variance within the pro ranks. You won't find a pro riding a bike with a 100mm stem or a 6' er with less than a 600mm cockpit either. They don't exist. That is fine as well. I ride with 600mm and am a 6 footer btw and no pro. Many pros my size are in the 625mm range which is fine for them. I suggested riding a shorter cockpit than most pros because it is common sense. I honestly don't care what you ride. In fact based upon all the data published on the 41 more guys than not ride small frames like the pros only with a 100mm stem. To me, this is horrible position on a bike. I hope you like it. Recently there were a lot of 6'4" guys coming here also with 100mm stems and it was obvious they were ridiculously cramped on the bike...very big guys riding a cockpit of 580mm or so. Most that lengthened their cockpit are much happier with their fit and faster.
Fit will never be agreed upon. If the great Eddie Merckx constantly changed his frames as an ongoing experiment to avert pain as in his case, and one of the things overlooked about him is his mastery of understanding bike fit as it relates to speed, then the average guy has a lot of experimenting to do. Currently FWIW I have taken a page out of Road Warrior's book and gone to a 140mm stem and a bit less setback to open my hip angle to generate a bit more power in the drops where I am spending more time. An ongoing experiment.
Probably the best way to assess fit if serious is with a power meter and a wind tunnel. Most of us don't have those at our disposal. Many know that closing the hip angle will generally reduce power output so its a tradeoff between aero profile and power. TT bike fitters generally understand this more than road bike guys.
PS: btw its drivel and not dribble...what babies do. Yes we can all act like babies from time to time.

rbart4506

This is the part you still can't get through your head...You're telling me that because my wife and are both riding 100mm stems that we are both on the wrong size frames...

In my case a smaller frame will result in major toe overlap with the front wheel and a huge stack of spacers under the stem...For my wife she'd be looking at custom since very few manufacturer's make a frame small enough for her...

For cripes sake I'm 5'-9" and riding a 52....How much smaller you want me to go??

In other words everyone should be on a custom frame...

Sorry, but your comments are total rubbish...

topflightpro

OP, I strongly encourage you to ignore all advice regarding stem length here and go get a proper fitting done - preferably one from a trained fitter and not just the free one from your LBS.

A proper fitting will ensure that not only are you comfortable on your bike, but that you are maximizing your power. Also, it will save you a lot of time, energy and money in fiddling around with different stems.

Lastly, I also would advise you to not do huge rides after making substantial changes to your fit. This is a recipe for injury.

UCIMBZ

It is always refreshing to see a Canadian take a strong position (or a position) about something. Hats off to you!

Banzai

This is where an indoor trainer can help.

Usually I start guys with their heel on the pedal, knee locked out, at the bottom of the pedal extension (roughly aligned with the seat tube.) That gets us in the ballpark. Then its on to 3-5mm adjustments.

Make sure, while pedaling under load at about 80 rpm, that your knee velocity is constant. If the back of your knee is picking up speed in its vertical velocity and opening velocity nearing the bottom of the stroke, then you are losing control of it and also stretching.

Make sure you're not rocking your pelvis to reach, or unnaturally pointing your toes. Most male cyclists are not toe pointers, and a proper height will return you to an unremarkable pedaling motion.

You'd be surprised how many experienced cyclists have their saddles too high. I ride with a guy who is blindingly fast compared with the rest of us in the club. He's barely taller than me, but his saddle is so high that I can't even stretch to effectively pedal his bike. He complains a lot about pain behind his knee, and hamstring issues, and when he pedals he points and rocks a lot. I've told him to drop his saddle, but he won't since a "pro" fitter set up his bike like that for him.

Banzai

Hopefully by now everyone has realized that they should be ignoring UCIMBZ.

This stem length nonsense is just, well, nonsense.

Just remember: According to UCIMBZ, in a world where cyclists range in height from 5' to 7', and frames often come in a very finite number of sizes, stems should only be one length. After all, you're not buying a bike; you're buying an acceptable stem, and trying to make sure that the frame fits it.

UCIMBZ

As long as it is a red stem.

Campag4life

Actually rbart...I agree with UC more than your fit...lol.
5'9" on a 52 with 100mm stem? Now that is laughable...though I would never say rubbish.
FWIW you are about the same height as the greatest TdF rider of our era and he is on a 58 with 130mm stem.
You need to go back to drawing board. Now here is the good news. There is a fit out there that you are going to love.

Campag4life

It isn't nonsense. It is key of enty to the cool guy club. If you don't ride with a stem at least 120mm, you can't join.

Banzai

I'm with Campag on this. I think UC's stem length obsession is complete BS; but at 5'6" I'm on the same setup as rbart. Bike shop tried to put me on a 50, but it felt cramped.

Campag4life

Well then he is both fast and dumb. I agree with you. Common mistake is saddle too high.