Bike fitting for height loss

[wildeny]

Adjust the stem's angle?

[Cataboo]

I think this is you & your bike?
http://www.momentumplanet.com/profiles/jean-smith

I can't tell how shallow your handlebars are, but you could try getting a more shallow reach on the bars.

I'm also not sure how short your stem is, but race face does make a 50 mm:
http://gearattack.com/items/17553

There's this crazy look ergostem, which seems to allow you to adjust things via a wide range easily - but it's pretty expensive... it does let adjust the length from 0 to 150 mm:
http://www.bellatisport.com/shop/pro...ostem_HSC.html


Something else you could consider is switching to non-drop bars... a mountain bike set up with a backsweep, mustache bars or albatross bars...
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...ls.php?id=7118

There's several here:
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...?category=1678

That may not be the ideal solution for you - but I think switching to backswept handlebars might be the easiest to adjust.


One thing you might consider is watching ebay or craigslist for frames with smaller top tubes - and selling one of your frames if you find a good deal. You might luck out.

[newfsmith]

Yes, that is the bike. Those bars were the Salsa Short-N-Shallows. I am switching them to http://www.somafab.com/barsparrow.html . They bring my reach back quite a bit, while still keeping my wrists in a fairly neutral position. I'm still playing with them trying to decide if I want them flipped or upright. I'm inclined to go with flipped for now and save the upright for when I lose more.

Thanks for the link to the Ergostem. That is the first adjustable stem I've seen that starts with a short reach. That may be the way I will have to go. Thinking back on my mother's height loss, I expect to loss another 2 inches by the time I'm 70.

[Cataboo]

Let me know how you like the sparrow handlebars - I've been thinking about putting them on a bike that I've been building up and have been resisting ordering them for about a week now.

I might be interested in buying the salsa handlbebars off you depending on the size. I've been wondering about them for a while.