reeeeeeaaaaaach...

[Trek420]

Yes, that's a big bike for you. I am 5'2.5" with an average size torso, and my road bikes have had top tubes from 19" to 19.5" long (approx. 48.25 to 49.5 cm) with stems in the 6.5 cm (a Terry) to 9 cm (Aegis Swift) range.

Can you make a bike that's the "wrong" size for you fit? Yes. When my bike's in the shop my LBS loans me a 51 cm bike, waaaay too big for me but he makes it fit with a different stem.

Can a bike that's the "right" size not fit? Sure. Same thing, seatpost length, seat adjustment, bars and lots of chances to go right or wrong.

In Knotts post # 3

I'd be getting a shorter-reach stem before switching h'bars, unless the h'bars you have now are really driving you nuts. I have short-n-shallows, and really they didn't change the reach nearly as much as getting a 2cm less-reach stem did for me.

This is not a recommendation to raise the bars, looks like suggested shorter reach to me.

..... It can solve neck and back pain. It can be more comfortable for some people. But the more upright position can mean loss of power, loss of aerodynamic efficiency and a whole lot more weight on your butt which can be painful to other people. These are personal preferences that are generally dictated both by one’s riding style and by the bike’s geometry. It's a personal choice. I really don’t care if someone wants to have their bars up in the heavens, but they need to know the pros and cons – and it simply wasn’t clear from your posts.

She said her bar height once.

Some may think my bars are "up in the heavens". They were put there by the man whose name goes on the frame. I just went "ok, this is comfy".

I don't know centimeters from centipedes, just feel that:

I'm faster when I'm more comfortable and I'm not real comfortable with the tone of this thread.