Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
I am guessing you have a much smaller size frame than me.
I like my frame on the smallish side for my height, My frame is 54cm and I like my bars well below the saddle (5" on the bike I used on the ST, 3" on my drop bar MTB). So yeah, people with larger frames and/or who have bars close to saddle height or above will have to reach more, sometimes a lot more.
I think that position on the bike, in addition to just how much you need to reach, becomes a factor as well.
I find that if you are leaning over in a more aggressive posture with elbows more bent (elbows close to bar height, forearms parallel to the ground) reaching down is not as likely to interfere with your pedaling. In that position your elbow can just tuck in close to the centerline of bike and body and the forearm drop down allowing you to reach the full length of your forearm below bar height without dropping the elbow.
If you prefer a more upright posture and more straight arms it becomes more of a problem to reach DT shifters and they are probably best avoided.
For me something closer to the former position is more comfortable and my choice for both performance riding and touring. I think most tourists prefer the latter finding a more upright posture more comfortable.
BTW, I always wondered why stem shifters were not more popular for folks who didn't like DT shifters. There were a few quality ones available (and a lot that were junk).