# What are my options to shorten the reach?



## JimmyNeutron10101 (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm trying to shorten the reach from the saddle to the handle bar (aka shorten the effective top tube length without changing the frame) and trying to figure out ways to do this.

Here're what I was thinking of:
1. Shorter stem. Do they make 0mm stem?
2. Handlebars that curve in and bring the grip section closer inward toward the saddle. Any special name for these type of handlebars?
3. Seat post that instead of being a setback seatpost is a setforth???? seatpost, if it exist.

anything else?

Trying to find a full suspension that has an ETT of about 520-530mm max.

If I have no choice, but to go HT, then I want to get a carbon HT frame off ebay and build a custom bike for my wife. I was looking at a carbon frame on ebay and saw a HT and it has an ETT of 542mm. FS was 560s something.

Thanks!


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## C.M.S (Aug 28, 2009)

Shorter stem to begin , sweep the bar back a tad and go from there .
Just make suttle changes till its right , but yet dont buy several stems to do get right .. 10mm makes a conciderable difference.

Good luck !


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## biggoofy1 (Aug 24, 2009)

the stem will be the easiest and effective option


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## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

i was experiencing a lot of mid back pain till i went to a 70mm stem from a 100mm one.


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## Berkeley Mike (Jan 13, 2004)

*Make sure your seat is in the right place first.*

everything come after that.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Jimmy, how's your wife's bike skill? One of the thing that you can do for her is to get an adjustable seat post, it makes getting on and off the bike easier. My brother's wife is 5'3", she's got a 14" and it works great for her. So none of the FS bike you've shopped around fit her? Where are you in CA.


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

Guess a down hill stem would be the shortest, or maybe some bmx stems.
A shorter stem obviuosly, but also the higher the grips the shorter the reach also, so maybe a stem with rise or riser bars or both. The good thing about riser bars is you have a little adjustment by rotating the bars. The higher the rise, in the bar, the more the adjustment. Also a wider, anything wider than your shoulders, will make the reach farther. 
I supose you could turn a set back seatpost around to face forward and mechanically it'd work but have never seen it done and would think it'd be a bad idea for a good bike fit.


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## JimmyNeutron10101 (Jan 3, 2011)

mimi1885 said:


> Jimmy, how's your wife's bike skill? One of the thing that you can do for her is to get an adjustable seat post, it makes getting on and off the bike easier. My brother's wife is 5'3", she's got a 14" and it works great for her. So none of the FS bike you've shopped around fit her? Where are you in CA.


Silicon Valley...closest full suspension that we were able to find in a store and tried out a little was the Specialized Myka FSR. The store manager was a little concern on her reach too and said he can make modifications and change the stem to try and make it work for my wife. The store manager also swapped out the seatpost that came w/ the Myka FSR for a shorter one and said they can cut the original once we decide to purchase the bike.

Wife is 5'0" and looking more for casual riding on trails then racing and trying to get the fastest time or biggest jump.

We're going to check out an XS Santa Cruz Julianne this weekend and see how that feels.

Specialized Myka FSR ETT was 542mm and though she can ride it, I think she prefer to ride a little more upright and not have to stretch out her arm as much.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

You can also get the H-bar from titec if she still has reach problem.


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

JimmyNeutron10101 said:


> Silicon Valley...closest full suspension that we were able to find in a store and tried out a little was the Specialized Myka FSR. The store manager was a little concern on her reach too and said he can make modifications and change the stem to try and make it work for my wife. The store manager also swapped out the seatpost that came w/ the Myka FSR for a shorter one and said they can cut the original once we decide to purchase the bike.
> 
> Wife is 5'0" and looking more for casual riding on trails then racing and trying to get the fastest time or biggest jump.
> 
> ...


Santa Cruz and cannondale have more compact cockpit so she may prefer the fit. I know that Titus makes xxs FS frame. I was hoping that you are in socal she can try my racer x (xs) and the 14" Soulcraft HT, even the small ibis. These are the bike that fit small person well.


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## JimmyNeutron10101 (Jan 3, 2011)

I'll look up the specs on those bikes tomorrow and Thanks Everyone!


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## e-luder (Mar 25, 2008)

Or you could just buy a frame the right size.


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## 3fast3furious (Dec 10, 2010)

Have you looked into any Trek's? I used to have a Top Fuel and I know that the XXX lite seatpost is reverseable. If you've ever seen Emily Batty's (who is also a shorty) Top Fuel, she does have her seatpost with a 5 degree forward offset. That combined with a short stem and a pair of big sweep bars might end up being a good fit while still giving her a full suspension setup.


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## theextremist04 (Jul 15, 2008)

3fast3furious said:


> Have you looked into any Trek's? I used to have a Top Fuel and I know that the XXX lite seatpost is reverseable. If you've ever seen Emily Batty's (who is also a shorty) Top Fuel, she does have her seatpost with a 5 degree forward offset. That combined with a short stem and a pair of big sweep bars might end up being a good fit while still giving her a full suspension setup.


The only problem is that messes with the location of the seat, which is not good.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

OP, you should try to find a bike frame small enough for your wife's hands to be forward of the steer tube comfortably. The handling is going to be pretty twitchy if you use a super-short stem and very swept bars to give her the right riding position.


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## Straz85 (Mar 20, 2009)

All of these changes to make a bike fit her sound great in theory, but there will be unintended negative effects. A shorter stem will make the steering more twitchy, especially a DH or BMX stem like someone above mentioned. Also, saddle fore/aft shouldn't be changed to adjust ETT, it should only be changed to get the rider into the correct position in relation to the pedals. Your patella should never be behind the spindle of the pedal, but you also don't want it too far in front. A friend of mine did this on his road bike, he went for a professional fitting, just correcting the saddle fore/aft made him much more comfortable on the bike, that 10mm he changed it greatly affected his pedaling efficiency and comfort. What I'm trying to say is if you buy a bike that you *need* to more the saddle forward to make it fit, it will cause it to be uncomfortable in different ways. If the LBS employee is concerned, I would avoid the bike. If your wife is just doing recreational riding on pretty mellow trails, I'd go with a HT that fits properly.

Edit: I just want to clarify one thing, different stem sizes are fine for making small changes, but I wouldn't go any shorter than 75-80mm for a XC/trail bike. I have a 75mm stem on my trail bike and it's bordering on too short. I'm used to it now, but 80-90mm would be better.


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Berkeley Mike said:


> everything come after that.


^this^

Get your saddle position correct, might be you need a straight post, might be you need a lay back. A slam forward post is unlikely, and generally used for creating positioning for TT and triathalon, NOT mtb riding.

Get into a comfortable position onthe saddle, with your pedals level, and drop a plumb bob off the front of your knee, on the forward positioned pedal side. The string should bisect the pedal axle. Move for and aft till it does. All the way forward, and it's still behind with a layback post on there, you need a straight post, etc.

Get that right, then go with stem, bar sweep, etc. Still bad, you need a shorter top tube, IE, different bike. Or, you need to understand the positioning requisite for riding off road, and why you can't sit bolt upright, and expect any sort of good handling to occur. :thumbsup:


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