Skankingbiker

I messed my back up pretty good earlier this year and have been riding a recumbent most of the season. 2 disc bulges\pinched nerves, torn ass tendon, and torn hip labrum. I have been able to return to upright riding in limited respects just recently, but my posture has had to change significantly and I cannot really "round" my low back. (using pedal extenders and very short and high stem). "Rounding" my low back pushes the bad discs out and hits the nerve. Long story short, I simply cannot ride my road bike anymore..Its a 2010 Fuji Roubaix with 105 level spec components (aluminum frame; carbon fork and chainstays). When I purchased it, the [edit] steerertube was cut pretty short and I only have room for about 10mm of spacers. I currently have on a 40 degree rise 60mm stem. But, the saddle to bar drop is just too much. I really need to have my bars at least level with the saddle.

So, my options are: a) headtube extender (not sure of the safety or build of these); b) a new fork with longer headtube (but good luck trying to find a new entry level 1/18 straight tube carbon fork; or c) sell the road bike and use proceeds to get a touring rig with more upright geometry.

Thoughts/suggestions? I use the bike usually for weekend group rides/charity events.

Campag4life

Sorry to learn of your physical struggles. My aging body is less than perfect as well and I can't ride slammed like I could in my 30's.

A steerer extender is worth a try because its inexpensive. Simply follow the rules in terms of stack height. I presume you do not have a carbon steerer on that bike but rather a carbon fork with aluminum steerer which should play ok with the steerer extender.

Keep in mind, you will likely have to change your 4 cables...2 brake and 2 derailleur when you raise the bars this much.

Long haul, you may want to change bikes. In fact, if you don't heal normally or by surgical intervention and have to contend with your spine issue, consider getting a bike with a higher handlebar...a flat bar with rise to get the handlebar up 2-3" above the saddle.

Good luck

SSRI

i would go with a new fork, 1 and 1/18 NOn-taper forks are still readily available with most retailers. (if you dont mind the fork not matching the frame)

topflightpro

Go with the extender. If that doesn't work, go with a new bike.

A new fork won't really improve things - most forks are limited to no more than 40mm of spacers between the top cap and stem.

79pmooney

Another option that is never considered that would cost $2-300 dollars and would require a wait, but that could address everything you want (assuming your current frame will work well in your new position; not a given): have a custom steel fork made. A steel steerer can be made to any length you want, You could also tweak the shape to get quicker or slower steering than you currently have and get any braze-ons you can dream of.

There's a long history of aluminum bikes with steel forks including some very good ones. All of the first decade(s) of Kleins were that. Good steel forks are a real step heavier than CF forks but good ones are fine rides. And you get to have fun choosing the style, crown, braze-ons and color.

There are many framebuilders who could do this easily. I'd look up builders not too far from you and contact them. Shouldn't take long to find one who is interested and feels right.

Ben

Campag4life

I am more in the steerer extender camp but will tell you OP, I ride in a retirement community where there are many long time old-er cyclists riding relatively conventional roadbikes with 'mega' fork steerer extension. At some point, I need to snap some pictures. Sometimes I will roll by and ask and they all say the same thing.
Its what keeps them on the bike. Their back and/or neck will no longer support bending over the top tube.

MAK

You asked about the safety of head tube extenders (risers). I have Delta brand risers on two bikes (about $20.00 each) and have had zero problems. Got my bars even with my saddle and made those two bikes very comfortable.

I hope your back problems become manageable. Good luck.

Lazyass

You said the head tube was cut short but I assume you mean the steerer tube. You can buy a new fork for a decent price and replace your cut one. As an example, the Nashbar fork is less than a hundred bucks. Just see how much longer the steerer tube is and determine if it will get your bars level with the saddle.

Paul Barnard

I put one on my wife's bike and it works great. It may require new cables and housing for you though if you don't have enough slack.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SATORI-UP2-....c101006.m3226

fietsbob

Not recommending a stem raiser on a carbon steerer fork, too much leverage..
carbon steerer tube wall is on the thick side too..

I added height on a steel steerer fork with a
BBB BHP 21, an internal quill, stem raiser..
so it may be OK , inside an aluminum steerer..


mine was not a road bike anyhow..



Sell it and get another bike , go for a 'rivendell' set up ,
he, Grant, suggests the bars at same height as the saddle.





...

mtbikerinpa

Provided you are not being excessive on your setup there is also high rise handle bars as an option. Many people in my shop's clientelle use stem risers from Delta but since you have to recable anyway in a lot of cases I like a high rise handlebar better. As long as you put a bridge brace across(like an old school downhill) you would not have excess flex and you could still keep your original fork and stem.(provided you would be ok with a flat bar). I have also seen rasing road drop bars, although not as dramatic of an amount.

McBTC

how high do you need to go? the one I'm using will give you 70 mm

Skankingbiker

canklecat

I know the feeling. Busted up back and neck from a 2001 wreck, with permanent C2 damage. When I resumed cycling in 2015 after a long I-hate-us, it took me two years on hybrids before I could handle a drop bar road bike. And I'm still good for only 20-30 continuous miles most rides, occasionally longer with breaks.

I could not handle a recumbent, just couldn't adapt to the balance and overall handling. Still have a friend's borrowed recumbent in the living room but we just don't get along. I piddle around the parking lot and never get up the gumption to get on the road. So I modded my other bikes to suit my infirmities.

You might consider another bike as a backup for those days when pain has got your back up.

Rather than modify my road bike more than I already have ('89 Centurion Ironman, bar set up about 2" below saddle height, swapped from 120mm to 90mm stem to reduce reach), I've been modifying my '92 Univega Via Carisma from its original mountain bike-lite configuration into a sporty city bike/faux-path racer.

The frame and fork are a great compromise between sporty and comfy. With the right tires and pressure it handles chipseal and busted up pavement fine without feeling sluggish.

I was hit by a car in May while riding the Univega, breaking and dislocating my shoulder. While I was able to ride again in 6 weeks, it was uncomfortable on the road bike. A friend kept my Univega in his garage over the summer and did some repairs (replaced the damaged wheels) and mods. He gave me a Nitto albatross bar -- he's a big fan of the path racer style flipped North Roads and similar bars, but found the albatross too wide for his liking. He's a little guy with narrow shoulders, built like Marco Pantani, and could be a mountain goat on a road bike but he prefers his hybrids.

The albatross bar has been flippin' fantastic, although for now it's upright. I'm about to either flip it or switch to a road bike stem to put the highest part of the bar at saddle height, which would put the grips just a bit lower. My shoulder and neck finally healed enough to handle a little lower position again.

Hard to believe until you try it, but those albatross and North Roads bars are almost as versatile as drop bars. At least three hand positions, and I've come to prefer the upright grip-end position for city and group rides because I can look around comfortably, have better peripheral vision. When I need a more aero position I'll slide my hands forward just over the brake clamps and still have ready access to brakes. For climbing I'll hold the bar near the stem, just like a drop bar road bike for long slow climbs.

I've been enjoying the Univega so much the road bike mostly is on the trainer, and I use the trainer a few times a week. But for most outdoor rides, especially casual solo and group rides, I grab the Univega and enjoy those albatross bars. I'm liking it well enough that I'm tempted to find another old chromoly steel road bike and convert it to albatross or North Roads bars. My only gripe about the Univega is the 30 lb weight. Converting an older steel road bike would weigh around 25 lbs, be a bit more nimble with the shorter wheelbase, but still comfy with the swept rather than drop bars. I've seen a couple other folks do this and they love it -- and they don't even have our back and neck injuries. It would be fun to see if I can match my usual 16 mph average on a modded road bike with swept bars. That's tougher on the Univega because of the weight, relaxed geometry, etc., and my average speed is around 14 mph.

Anyway, just a thought. You could probably pick up a suitable bike for $200 or less, depending on your market (those older road bikes go cheaply in my area). Add a swept bar from Nitto, Soma or Velo Orange, and suitable brakes. I'm preferring bar end shifters now, rather than thumbies, and much more ergo friendly than downtube shifters. But those older steel road bikes have more flexy frames -- fork and bottom bracket, especially. Soaks up a lot of road chatter. Switch to 700x25 tires (700x28 won't clear some frames and brake bridges), run 'em a bit lower pressure. Not a bad ride at all for days when the back, neck and other stuff isn't cooperating.

Keep working on that physical therapy too. It's been a long grind this year with the shoulder/neck injury, along with other health complications (just had surgery for thyroid cancer, now I have a sinus/respiratory infection). But by September I was finally improving and looking forward to at least one good workout or fast ride a week on the road bike, and several a week on the hybrid. Best wishes.

Campag4life

Thanks for sharing your story. Grant of course espouses the use of the bars you suggest as an alternative to a drop bar. As an older rider who still prefers the speed of a racing and/or endurance race bike, I do set my drop bar up a bit higher than many of my riding partners.

Can you snap a pic of your Univega with current handlebar?...would love to see it.

Ride safe.

canklecat

Here's the current set-up for the Univega. I want to lower the bar a bit. That means flipping the bar on the current upward angled stem, or switching to a horizonal road bike stem.

The flipped bar had a better wrist angle on the forward curve. Good for getting aero or climbing. But I prefer the classic upright look. Flipped bars look odd to me.

If I do the latter I'll need a cable hanger on the headset, which will also get that front brake cable loop off the top of the bar. I have a cable hanger but it's the wrong size. Ordering a couple in 1" today.

Setting up the Univega has been good practice for what I have in mind for modding an old school road bike to be a lightweight hybrid for moderately fast city group rides.



Univega Via Carisma with Nitto albatross handlebar and Shimano bar end shifters. Great city bike setup. Could be faster with a lighter frame and lower bar. My injured back, neck and shoulder really like this setup.

***

And here's the only photo I have with the albatross bar flipped. That was early September and my shoulder hadn't recovered from being hit by a car in May. So I reinstalled it upright. But I could handle the flipped bar now. Between anti-inflammatory injections and home PT the shoulder finally improved since mid-September.

Note the angle of the front of the bar at the arc. Good ergonomic wrist position. Better than with the upright bar. If I do this on a modded road bike I'll wrap the entire bar instead of using grips.



Same bike, flipped Nitto albatross handlebar.

Campag4life

Awesome! Thanks for sharing Canklecat. I might be there someday to...going to a handlebar shape like that...Rivendell made popular of course and we all know about the Dutch and their penchant for an upright bar.

I personally believe aging cyclists who still like a dropbar are helped markedly by taller headtube road bikes. If you place a riser stem on an endurance geometry road bike, you have a pretty high drop bar that makes the drops nicely accessible for those even with physical challenges..

Thanks again and ride safe.