Kogaman5

I have developed Arthritic Elbows and can't stay on the drops for long periods. I would like to find a road or gravel bike, where I have about a 15% lean when on top of the drops and 30% - 40% when I am in the drops. Thus probably a bike with a shorter reach and a taller head tube. Would like to spend around $1500 - $2000, aluminum/steel frame is good, maybe a softer carbon front fork. Am about 5' 10.5" so maybe a 54 or 55cm frame. Either disc or rim brakes. Most of my riding is on paved surfaces.

Marylander

The diamondback haanjo models don't look too bad, e.g., https://www.diamondback.com/road-bik.../haanjo-4-4482

I've got a black mountain cycles mcd, which is very upright but likely to be outside of your price range when built up. https://blackmtncycles.com/frames/mcd-frames/

big john

I don't know about your price range but the bikes with an upright type fit are the Trek Domane and the BMC Roadmachine. Gravel bikes like the Cannondale Topstone or Trek ALR Checkpoint are also more upright.

tyrion

I suspect you won't find a stock drop bar bike that will put you that upright. But you can get a high-rise stem to raise the bars a couple inches.


Google "high rise stem".

big john

I asked about this at a BMC dealer a couple weeks ago and he said most bikes come with the steer tube cut. I think most forks have come with 300mm steer tubes before cutting.

tomato coupe

I think your quest is for bars with a very large drop.

jppe

You just need to make sure the steerer is cut no longer than the manufacturer’s recommendation. That’s generally 30-35 mm of stack between the stem and headset. If it’s too long it can lead to catastrophic failure of the steerer, which obviously can be a really serious safety issue......it’s better to use a stem with more rise than a steerer that is too long.

Tomm Willians

As I’ve reached 60 and though in better shape than many my age...... I’m still 60🙁
I have been putting extended stems on a few of my bikes just so I can continue to enjoy riding them. On my Orbea Terra gravel bike I went with a simple and inexpensive steer tube extension that works wonderfully.

John E

My comfort/gravel/utility machine is my Schwinn mountain bike (see signature), with perpendicular extensions on the ends of the regular Ritchey mountain bike bars. These give me a much-needed additional hand position with the wrist-neutral axial rotation provided by drop bars. Best of all worlds, and it's even Team USA red, white, and blue.

Wildwood 

edit: Welcome to BF 50+ @Kogaman5

Pavement rides, rim brakes, steel frame acceptable, short top tube.

Handlebars called short and shallow should not be overlooked, regardless of the drop bar bike you choose.

If you can swing your leg over a level top tube, then I would look at the used bike market for half your price. A quill stem Nitto Technomic (?), allows the bars to be raised several inches. Or spend the money saved on better tires/riding shorts/shoes/gloves/bar tape.

Or size up a bit and enjoy a tall head tube.

6'1" on a 62cm frame.

Here's an example of a Nitto Technomic stem on a vintage gravel ready upright rider, with easy step thru..
This is a project test set-up that got changed to shorter upright stem with upright bars.

Price = waaaaaaaay below your target. Find one in Reynolds 531 tubing with lighter weight for a few $$$ more.

Flip Flop Rider

both of course

Blues

Another idea that would give you 30mm more height is the Surly Truck Stop Bar with it's built in 30mm rise.

bargo68 

Rivendell Roadini has a pretty high stack. Not sure about the reach. Never seen a picture of one where the bars are lower than the saddle. With a Nitto Technomic you can get the bars up even higher and have a nice upright riding position and realistic access to the drops.

DeadGrandpa

I can offer this adjustable stem. It worked for my GF. https://www.amazon.com/FOMTOR-Adjust.../dp/B07QRPVKKL

big john

With 6 inches of stem sticking up there! The last quill stem bike I had got one of those Nitto stems the last time I used it. I sold it last summer. Hope I don't regret that.

Road Fan

I don't think I have that problem yet, but I would look toward Rivendell. I don't think they are in that price range, but some people sell theirs.

MAK

Try a stem riser like Tomm did. I have them on two bikes and they work well. They are about $20-$25. If it does what you need, you save the cost of a new bike. If it doesn't work, you're only out a few bucks.

Bald Paul

Another option would be to get a bike, and replace the fork with that carbon fiber one you wanted. A new fork will come with the steerer tube uncut.

downtube42

Adding stem spacers and a riser stem is effectively increasing the frame's stack. You want to start with a frame with maximum stack. It's a little tedious to find, but the information is available. Bikes marketed as gravel, adventure, all-road or endurance tend to have more stack, but not always.

From there, your options are spacers and riser stem for more increase, or go with a French fit. which essentially means buy a taller frame than normal. With sloping top tubes, that's even easier. This effectively lowers your saddle with respect to the bars. Taller frames will have a little more reach, which you might need to compensate for with a shorter stem.

I can't tell you what bike to buy; there are too many preferences and options.

big john

He might not be coming back.

kc4sox

I simply converted my road bike to flat bars. I wish I’d done it years ago !

5teve

The Salsa Vaya has a short reach and high stack for their sizes. And they're pretty affordable and readily available on the used market. (maybe not the used market right now, but generally.)

blakcloud

Have you considered a flat bar bike?

Someone above suggested a Rivendell and I think they make interesting bikes (I own one for the record). Depending on the model they have long reach so a sweptback bar is needed but they also have a quill stem. Also someone else pointed out, they are out of your budget range.

In a more modern realm Specialized make a flat bar gravel bike. The stack on the medium is 32 mm bigger than my Domane endurance bike. So it might get you in the range you need. Plus it is in your budget.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/di...ext=96220-5602

Hope you find something that works for you.

mdarnton

I have an arthritic shoulder that I'm putting off having replaced, so essentially the same problem. I bought a Trek FX and the adjustable stem riser that deadgrandpa links to, but at the same time I realized that the pain was proportional to the exact angle of my hands on the bars, which had the effect of rotating my arm and changing the contact within the joint. As sort of an experiment after considering all of the alternatives I bought a cheap set of butterfly bars, which offered infinite opportunities in that regard, and they are working so well I'm keeping them. The thing about them that I like is that when one placement starts hurting I can move to another, and there are lots. One of my favotite locations is on the front (close) outside curves, putting my hands rotated inwards 45 degrees (little finger up, thumb down) shich turns my elbows outwards. I can't ride that way forever, but it's very relieving of the pain. A simpler solution would have been bullhorn bars. I also discovered that the pain is relieved when my hands are closer, so I put the brakes right at the ends of the bars, inwards.

If you find that your pain is connected to rotation of the arm or hand location, some similar approach might be helpful for you. My bars cost me $25 on Amazon, and as I said, if I were style conscious, knowing what I know now, bullhorn bars would do the job in my particular case and be less dorky, but I won't bother to change.

In my particular case, the flat bars that came with the bike were exactly the wrong thing to have. I had initially considered getting flat bars with some additional back sweep, but now realize that wouldn't have worked for me. YMMV

gravelcrazy

Interesting discussion. This season I replaced an aging Giant Escape Flatbar commuter ( Small size ) with a 48" Specialized Synaspe roadie and a Felt 54" VR40 drop bar kinda gravel bike. Both fit well despite the differences in sizes, but I have back pain after the ride with the Specialized and lesser pain with the Felt. Had no pain with the flatbar escape. Go figure. May get another flat bar bike and sell of the SPecialized, but I love the looks of both bikes.