Specialized 2010 Vita Comp

[Kathi]

First of all my road bike is custom, designed with a longer head tube to accomodate my short arms. It has spacers, rings of varying diminsions that go around the steerer tube, not expensive, that can be changed around to raise or lower my handlebars. If the shop doesn't cut the steerer tube, and they shouldn't, adding spacers is not a big deal.

I have an awesome bike fitter in Boulder who raised the handlebars on my mtn bike (not custom and couldn't add any more spacers) by using a stem with a rise. I also have a carbon road bike that we raised the handlebars with a comination of spacers and a stem with a rise (the stem angles up).

A stem is about $80-90 depending on what you get and on a new bike there may not be a charge if the shop is seriously trying to get you fitted properly.

I rode for years and was not very comfortable on my bikes. I finally forked out the money for a fit and found out that because of my short arms I needed my handle bars higher to be in a neutral position. Stock frames generally don't have the length of the head tube that I need so that's why my road bike is custom. I also need a steep seat tube angle. I didn't know these things until I had a bike fit. You want a bike that fits your body, not the other way around.

My advice is to try to find a shop that will work with you on your fit and try a variety of bikes. I'm sure there is one that will fit you and your budget.

My other concern is that if you ride in wind, or any of the downhills or mtn passes you will lose the benefits of dropped bars by getting flat bars.