reeeeeeaaaaaach...

[madscot13]

Alright, I can't figure out how to measure my top tube but the brochure for my year cites it as 21.9"

[SadieKate]

For a little girl (I'm only 5'4" on a wishful day so I can say that ), that's a long top tube -- about 55 cm. You're probably going to have to change the stem and the bars to the shortest you can -- and you may still have problems and the handling may get odd. If you climb steep hills, you may really notice it.

I ride top tubes of 52.5 to 53 cm for comparison.

Don't raise the bars. Even with the saddle is fine.

[madscot13]

you would know about them hills...

Alright does anyone have a stem recommendation?

[SadieKate]

What year is your Trek 520? I'm doublechecking the geometry.

http://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm

[KnottedYet]

Nitto makes some very nice quills!

I have a Nitto Technomic. I'm a tall long-armed critter with a torn up neck, and *still* have plenty of room on the Technomic to raise the bars up more if I need to. They come in all kinds of reaches. I wanted to go from a 120mm to a 80mm, but my LBS talked me out of it. Glad they did, cuz the 90mm is just perfect for me.

The Technomic cost me $40. There is also the Deluxe, which is a bit different (a lot shinier for one thing) and I think costs about $15 or $20 more.

They also make a lugged quill, for like $150.... very pretty....

[madscot13]

93 or 94. I bought it used and have always been wondering. Black quill stem, white handle bar tape, metal lugs, forest green. I think it is 93.

[SadieKate]

http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/94/Trek94.pdf

A 17" 520 had a 54 cm TT - still long.

I agree, Nitto makes some nice stems which would be perfect for this.

Raising the bars doesn't really affect the reach. It affects comfort of your back and neck which may not be a problem once the reach is solved. Typical place for recreational cyclists to start is actually a hair below the saddle and touring bikes about even.

There in Minneapolis you should be able to find a good shop that can help you. Since you've got a challenge getting that bike to fit, get a shop to help you. When you change both the stem and bars, you'll need to change cable length also but it's best not to mess with them until you have the fit dialed. Murphy's Law says that you will then want to raise the bars and the cables will be too short.

Knott, I know you like your high bars but they're the extreme. It may be great for your messed up neck but some of us would absolutely hate that position and find that other things start to hurt because of it. I'd recommend starting at the mid-point for height and solve the reach. Madscot hasn't even mentioned pain, just ackwardness from the reach.

[KnottedYet]

Knott, I know you like your high bars but they're the extreme. It may be great for your messed up neck but some of us would absolutely hate that position and find that other things start to hurt because of it. I'd recommend starting at the mid-point for height and solve the reach. Madscot hasn't even mentioned pain, just ackwardness from the reach.

I never told her to raise her bars. I just told her what I had done.

Just like I told her how I'd changed my reach. Didn't tell her to change her reach to match mine. I just told her what I had done.

Not once, not anywhere, did I tell her to raise her bars. In fact, the FIRST thing I said was to look into a shorter reach stem, just like you did later. She asked about shorter reach stems vs Salsa Short-n-Shallows, and I said changing stems gave me a shorter reach more than changing to Short-n-Shallows.

[SadieKate]

Knotted, madscot kept asking if she should raise her bars and you kept saying where you have yours positioned which implied to me that you were saying yes. If you were not, my apologies but I don't know why otherwise you would keep mentioning the saddle to bar difference.

[madscot13]

I don't have any pain, just a funny feeling, when I ride. I just remember when falling into the drops was a joy, now it is sort off.

I've been considering a bike fit but was thinking of waiting until I purchased a pair of speedplay frogs. So maybe about a year, ahem, tops.

I just have to get past this winter season. I'm a bit unsure about what bike to have in Washington DC. Oh and make some money do splurge on these unnecessary but totally required things.

[SadieKate]

This is a lot of money to spend on this project then! I don't know the Short and Shallows like Knotted does, but there are many bars out there these days with shorter reach, so do your research. I suspect it's going to take bars and stem to get the reach close. That bike is just awfully big.

[madscot13]

That bike is just awfully big.

You are telling me. But it is a beauty and rides really well. It will be an investment.

[KnottedYet]

Knotted, madscot kept asking if she should raise her bars and you kept saying where you have yours positioned which implied to me that you were saying yes. If you were not, my apologies but I don't know why otherwise you would keep mentioning the saddle to bar difference.

I mentioned where mine are positioned once. When I said the bars were now 1 inch or so higher than they had been. Oh, and BY THE WAY, THE REACH IS NOW 30 MM SHORTER AND WOW, THE BARS ARE FEELING REALLY GOOD NOW!!!!!!!!! (as the rest of that post said)

Nifty Nitto, they have many different reaches for many different needs, *and* the quills are a great size that can be adjusted in all kinds of ways for all kinds of bikes/headtube lengths/rider needs. Even to great extreme heights like I prefer to ride (and wow, there is still wiggle room on the Nitto, what a great design), and which I never encouraged anyone to do.

You kept telling her not to raise the bars. I agreed with you. I never told her to raise them.

[Torrilin]

You are telling me. But it is a beauty and rides really well. It will be an investment.

*nod* You may be built more on WSD lines, so it may not be possible to get the frame to perfect. Sad.

The other possibility I see is if you're using a backpack for hauling. I went for my first backpack free grocery run yesterday. With a pack, my back and shoulders are *screaming* within a mile on the way home, with the pain centered where you'd expect it for too much reach. Yesterday? no pain. This was expected, since math says the bike's reach should be fine. Plus, previous pack free rides have been fine (just not real *practical*).

I've replaced the backpack with a pair of $40 Axiom panniers. The sewing and seam taping isn't as solid as my backpack, but my backpack has lasted through 15 years of near daily 30-45lb loads. I think it's ok if the panniers don't last through that . I could have gone cheaper online or with Craigslist, but we decided "support the local bike shop" was higher priority than cheapest panniers possible.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Madscot,
I am 5'5" tall.
My bike came with a 90mm reach stem. After riding it several months, I found it was too lone for me. I changed to a really short 50mm stem, which I rode for a couple of months. Though it helped my reach issue, I found that it affected my steering badly- my steering was wobbly and annoying.
Then I put on a 70 stem. That eliminated the wobbly steering, and didn't seem to be too long a reach by much. I'll stick with that stem now.
Now in order to attempt to shorten my reach just a bit more, I am about to put on some shorter reach Salsa handlebars, which should not effect my steering like a short stem would.
If you compare the specs on their website, you will see that the Salsa "Poco" bars will shorten your reach substantially more than the Salsa "Short and Shallow" bars. Also the drops are less low down on the Poco than the ShortNShallow's. Measure your shoulders for width. I got the 40cm width alloy Poco bars. We will be putting them on this weekend.

Another thing you might want to try-
I know this sounds counter-intuitive.....but try shoving your saddle as far back as it will go. When I did this (at DH's recommendation) I found my weight was suddenly balanced more over my legs instead of forward so much on my hands- it moved my center of gravity back a bit and I actually felt WAY more balanced. It made a big difference and I love it.
Sounds nuts but it worked wonderfully for me- can't hurt to try it!

Will report back about the Salsa Poco bars when I get them on and try them out this weekend.