illusiumd

Hey there, newb here again seeking advice. I recently picked up a Soma ES 64cm frame and had a local mechanic build it up nice for me. I'm about 6'6" and 1/2 so I went with the 64 since proportionally I feel that I'm longer in torso than in legs. Stand-over height feels good.

I like everything about this bike except for being too hunched over on the handlebars and having to bend my neck back to see straight. If I lined my head up to match my back I'd be looking too down (not good for commuting). Also it feels like I'm leaning too much on my wrists.

Right now I've got a "Profile Design Aris Stem: 100MM~ 65/115degree~ Black~ 1-1/8"~ 31.8" ... when I talked to the mechanic he said that he's got as many spacers on the thing as it will take and if I want a more up-right riding style we should look into straight bars.

Can someone recommend a better stem option that will raise me up a bit? Should I just look for increase in angle and length? Thanks!

fietsbob

Un Cut Steeerer on the fork? so you have all that it was Made with..Or did they cut it down? (how much stuck Up?)

if cut, Stem Raisers go on where that stem was & you'd re install the stem on top of them to have it start out Higher ..

ray.garza

How about a shorter stem so that you wont be reaching out so far (little more up right position). You may also to build up your core strength so that your back holds you up. I do planks and that helps me a lot.

dr_lha

Maybe pick up a cheap adjustable stem and try it out different angles? Something like this maybe?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...G1MC4F5KQVH795

dagray

a good bike fit will tell you which angle stem you want. I went with a 125 degree stem and that got me the more upright seating position, but the shop didn't have one on hand so they put a 140 degree stem on for a couple weeks until they were able to bring a 125 degree stem from their other shop.

It made a huge difference. The number of spacers stayed the same and it put the bars closer to the height of the saddle. We also moved the saddle forward and up as well as shimming the shoes to get my knees to toe in so they were parallel with the frame.

jsigone

photo of the bike is needed

Black wallnut 

Let me google that for you

Sorry could not help myself.

jsigone

new bike = new photo thread right

DMC707

Are you riding on the hoods and your back is that flat? -- what happens when you move your seat forward a little ?

sstorkel

How long have you been riding? How many rides have you done on the Soma ES and how long were they? If the bike is ridable, I would recommend riding it for a couple of weeks or a month before making any major changes. You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll adapt to a new bike...

illusiumd

Thanks for the replies! I've had the bike now since August and have ridden it a good deal.

Another part of it is getting used to a road bike. So road bike position - are you supposed to bend over a bit and flex yer abs? I've got about an hour/13mi city commute each way and I'm constantly fidgeting around trying to relieve my neck.

The LBS suggested 64cm as opposed to 66cm cause I had mentioned that I wanted to be a little more up-right position. They convinced me that the shorter top tube on the 64cm would be a better fit. They also cautioned that you can always make a smaller frame feel a bit bigger but can't make a larger frame smaller... Also I was coming from a 67cm Fuji where I had negative stand-over and was concerned for my ability to reproduce in the future on that bike.

I've also hijacked a thread over in the commuting section where a couple folks with back/fit problems lament the fact that the ES and alot of Surly's have short head tubes - that they prefer bikes with shorter top tubes and longer head tubes for more of an upright fit.

sstorkel

One thing you might need to do is relax. One problem I frequently notice with newer road bike riders is that they tend to "tense up", especially in the arms, shoulders, and neck. I used to do it, too! Dunno if it's the road bike riding position or the shorter wheelbase and quick handling but when you turn every inch of pavement into a "white knuckle" affair, it's not surprising you might get stiff. Think about keeping your arms bent and loose, don't have a death grip on the handlebars, and look around every once in a while.

If you post pictures of yourself setting on your bike, you can get free fit advice here. Of course, free advice is often worth what you pay for it...

ray.garza

If you've been riding it since August and still having neck pain then the bike is either not properly fitted for your flexibility or you need to work on some core exercises to help you maintain your posture while riding.

The other alternative is that the bike is not right for you and cannot be adjusted.

chaadster

Hmm. I'm having a hard time imagining how you could actually be hunched over on that. The bars are nearly level to the seat, and a 100mm stem on a 64cm frame would not be proportionally long. I suppose you could have short arms.

I'd want to see you on the bike before really making any serious suggestions, but the common things would be 1) fit a shorter stem of same rise, and/or 2) fit shorter reach/shallower drop bars.

In which hand position are you uncomfy? All of them? The drops?

jaxgtr

It looks like you are riding a 17 deg stem. You might need to go with a 12 or 7 deg stem and stretch out a little

chaadster

That occurred to me, too, thinking the hunching was really happening at the shoulders. Pics would help clarify this.

illusiumd

Thanks again everyone. i'll try to get pics up when I can.

Ok, I think my issues here are:

1. I'm not as flexible, in as good of shape as I should be. Also I'm a newb at road bikes so I need to work on correct posture and overall flexibility. Maybe it's not that I'm hunched, but not riding properly.

2. I can still make this bike work, but based on what I've read on this thread and other places, the frame geometry of the Soma ES is just a bit off for what I wanted - which is a less aggressive riding style: longer head tube/shorter top tube ratio.

I think I'm going to order a couple different stems from Amazon and test them out. Can I put them on or should have a mechanic put them on? It looks like a relatively straight-forward process.

The stem I have now is a Profile Design Aris 65/115 degree at 100mm. I think I'm going to try the same degree (which is pretty good I feel) at 130 and at 90 to get a sense of what fits.

dr_lha

It's pretty straightforward, but I'd recommend that you have a torque wrench if your bike has a carbon steerer tube. Also remember the top cap is for preloading the bearings on your headset, it's not just a dust cover! Tighten the cap first, stem bolts last. This the probably the most difficult part, as too tight and your steering will be stiff, and too loose and your fork will wobble (not good).

There are online guides (videos and text) that explain the process better than I can.

illusiumd

Thanks! So this stem says 65/115 degree - so that's a 25 degree rise correct?

dr_lha

All these angles are confusing, I have no idea how something could "rise" 115 degrees, I suppose that angle is measured from the steerer tube. I always think in terms of the small angle (the angle to the stem plane). So 115 would be a +/-25 degree stem right? Here's a +/-40 degree stem, which I think would be a 130 degree stem if flipped up.

Amazon.com : Profile Design Boa Threadless Stem : Sports & Outdoors

LGHT

I've only been riding a few months and had all types of aches, pains, and weird concerns with my bike until I got a bike fit. It was the best $125 I ever spent. Any and all adjustments I made prior were just guesses and most made the problem worse. I would just take it to a fitter and be done with it. Riding uncomfortable used to really hold me back and kept me off the bike while I rest my sore aching muscles. Now the only thing sore is my legs.

obed7

I suggest taking the bike to a reputable/certified fitter... take the guess work out of it.

Little Darwin

To move to flat bars will buy you virtually nothing other than a psychological change... Riser bars may help a bit, but a flat bar is about zero gain. Think about it, flat bars are going to get you to basically the same vertical position as riding on the hoods. You will gain just as much (more cheaply) by installing a shorter stem. Why go through the expense of new bars and new shifters for minimal difference.

Without seeing your normal riding position, I have a guess... If you have in your mind that the way to ride a road bike is to be in the drops, then the thing that needs changing is your mind. Watch a long distance bike race, and notice how they ride their bikes. Other than specific times when they need the lower position, they are almost always riding on the hoods. There is a reason for this... it is more comfortable for most riders. The benefit of drop bars is multiple positions, but the primary position for many (maybe most) riders is on the hoods.

Good luck on getting the proper combination to work for you. There is some science involved, but there is also a little art and/or personal preference.

sstorkel

If you feel you need a shorter top tube, the 130mm stem isn't the way to go. It will put the bars even further from the saddle, similar to what you'd get if the top tube was even longer than it already is.

jaxgtr

before you order anything....go by a lbs and see if they will install a few and check the fit. When I was looking for a stem and I was moving away from the 17 deg to some more aggressive, they let me try 2 or 3 before I found what fit for me and then I bought what I needed.