IRO project finished

so i have been riding it now for a couple of days have tweeked the saddle and the bars/stem, but i'm just too far forward, so the only other stem i have is an old ali MTB one but it has made me more upright and more comfortabel.

I'm thinking that iff i get some aero levers i could swap between the risers and drops with this stem. i wonder if i would do well to look at those flippable headsets?
Oh, spot the mistake with the brake cable, i cut it a bit short!

That last pic is pretty anti.

Those drops are also pretty emmense.

If you have a look at some side profiles of other bikes and try and gauge where there positions are. I would suggest getting something like one of those hidious adjustable touring stems in a 26.0mm and then some compact drops like the bontirager ones everyone's raving about. That way you can work out what length you need.

is it fixed with no foot retention or ss with no rear brake?

in either case i would suggest that is sorted out, so project is not really finished

You could also try a seatpost with a layback rather than an inline one to gain a couple of cms, rather than resorting to such offensive-looking stems.

Ok. so there is nowhere to fit the rear caliper without a keirin kit and yes straps are on the way. it has fixed and ss 16t.

As for the bars, the drops are what came with it nitto B123aa's, i have been toying with mustash bars or nitto albatross?

If using Nitto's please get rid of that god awful stem. Give the bars a nice stem. Generally looks pretty anti right now as hugo said...

What is that saddle?

You could also try a seatpost with a layback rather than an inline one to gain a couple of cms, rather than resorting to such offensive-looking stems.

hehe, yep it is pretty awfull, just working with what i have and although the Pearl 10 is lovely, it just has me too far forward.

Been looking at Nitto Dirt Drop Stem
or a small Nitto Technomic?

Is the frame a bit big for you? That's an odd-sized stem and you might end up with crazy-twitch steering.

The saddle is a Velo, i think from a mountain bike, but again, its what i have, i have a big arse gel saddle, a GT prolite or a 80's bmx plastic thing that looks like a San marco, but isnt, so i went with this.

I thought the frame was the right size, but you are probly right it is bigger than 'was sold', and as ive mentioned in another thread i have short legs long body syndrome which doesnt help :) so yeah i dont think there is ever going to be much seat to bar drop for me anyway?

You are a perfect candidate for a Foffa Legit HiPro..

lolllllllllllllllllll Tom.

Fair enough, I wouldn't go for that dirt drop. Go for a shorter, nicer stem. Is that rise really needed if you have a long torso?

I thought the frame was the right size, but you are probly right it is bigger than 'was sold', and as ive mentioned in another thread i have short legs long body syndrome which doesnt help :) so yeah i dont think there is ever going to be much seat to bar drop for me anyway?

Doesn't make much sense to me sorry.

Long torso suggests you'd need a longer top tube, you need a shorter top tube from the looks of it. And maybe some stretching (of yourself) might help.

Was thinking the same. The stem indicates that the top tube is too long, if your torso was out of proportion this would not be much of an issue.

It looks like a smaller frame would allow more seatpost and a more sensible length stem.

Damn, TM's ninja edit beat me to it.

Not sure the OP needs to go on a rack and get stretched, his legs are unlikely to get longer, but increased flexibility might help a bit.

And with less reach, you would need less height on the bars. So even with a shorter head tube and lower bars, you *should *be more comfortable, and have a prettier bike.

Increased flexibiltiy is what I was gunning for, not torture, although... dat stem.

Well the fact that the top of the drop is higher than the saddle is just all wrong. Your body position must be very strange if you were riding on the top of the bars, which I assume you would be as your lever is up there.

Damn, TM's ninja edit beat me to it.

Not sure the OP needs to go on a rack and get stretched, his legs are unlikely to get longer, but increased flexibility might help a bit.

You see now you have hit on something, fitness, this is my first real bike for... some years and although i fully intend to progress back to drops or even bullhorns, right now i am building up to that as i am not at peek (or anywhere near) fitness.

So mabie i should have started this different, im after something comfortable and not full on so i enjoy the buisness of getting fit again.

For me road drops are the most comfy type of bar... Maybe you should stop trying to rush the project, save a bit of cash for components that are good and that fit you, then rebuild it...?

Anyway, i got you all talking at me which gives me options that i might not have thought of so its all goo and if i could change the title it would say 'nearly finished'

At a Dr Bike I met a guy who clearly had small man syndrome. He was about 5'7, riding a 58cm carbon race bike. He had a 5cm saddle to bar rise, the saddle was slammed all the way down on his compact geometry frame. He arrived stretched out like superman, but was insistent that this was how he liked to ride.

£5K spent on a bike that was never going to fit, and was probably going to cause him a great deal of pain to ride.

58!? Dafuq! I am 5'11 and I'd never dream of riding anything over 56cm. Ever.

You could even try some swept back bars like these to start with?

http://www.kenellerkercycles.co.uk/m2b138s310p1691/XLC_City_Trekking_Comfort_Handlebar/RS_GB/4799

Might quite suit the build.

And if it's fixed gear, get some pedal straps from here will improve your riding experience immensely.

www.restrap.co.uk

This is if im measuring it right 51cm from center of the BB to center of the top tube, i have a 29" inside leg so short.

I am making straps as we speak.

I've been looking at mabie this sort of thing
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/salsa-woodchipper-2-handlebar/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&utm_content=Salsa-Salsa_Woodchipper_2_Handlebar-Black