# Anyone 6'+ with stack height issues?



## Guyechka (Jul 19, 2005)

Let me put it this way: I have never ever in my entire life owned a mountain bike where the handlebars were level with or above the saddle.

I'm 6' 1.5". That's not all that tall.

I recently bought a Devinci Hendrix for a good price. Size is XL, the largest they make. My seatpost sticks out 11". I have 30mm of spacers under the stem (Devinci cut the steerer tube, so this is the max) and 40mm rise bars. With this set up, my bars are 1 1/2 to 2" below the saddle. I bought some 50mm rise bars and a stem with a slight rise, so we will see if that helps. 

I don't want this to turn into a rant. That's not where I'm headed. I'd rather discuss tricks and limits of headset spacers. But it does make me wonder why manufacturers don't make their headtubes at least an inch longer on the XL frames. I certainly could use it.

So who else has this issue, and what have you done?


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## alexbn921 (Mar 31, 2009)

The stack height is inline with most other manufacturers. Longer cranks would lower your seat. I personally like my bars 3+ inches below my seat, but I'm 6'4". My XL blur is 4.5inch below the seat and my XXL tallboy 3 is 3.5. The tallboy feels high, so I might have to find a flat bar for it as I'm already running a negative stem. It has an identical stack to your bike.
edit
I would try the higher rise bars with a longer stem. If you have a 50mm and put 30mm of spacers you will need a 70mm to keep the same reach. Try to get one with a lot of rise too.


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## Guyechka (Jul 19, 2005)

alexbn921 said:


> The stack height is inline with most other manufacturers. Longer cranks would lower your seat. I personally like my bars 3+ inches below my seat, but I'm 6'4". My XL blur is 4.5inch below the seat and my XXL tallboy 3 is 3.5. The tallboy feels high, so I might have to find a flat bar for it as I'm already running a negative stem. It has an identical stack to your bike.
> edit
> I would try the higher rise bars with a longer stem. If you have a 50mm and put 30mm of spacers you will need a 70mm to keep the same reach. Try to get one with a lot of rise too.


Your numbers are reassuring! After having this issue for so long, I think I have grown accustomed to the feel of my bars being lower. However, I have broken my back twice, and I wanted to keep from bending as much as I normally would.

I think I will have to deal with the 50mm bars and riser stem. The only other way to attack this would be to buy a new fork with uncut steerer tube and have 50 or 60mm of spacers under the stem. I'm not about to buy a new fork to replace one that has only ten miles on it.


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## TooTallUK (Jul 5, 2005)

You picked a bike with fairly low stack height, so that's what you got. Other bikes have higher stack and some have lower (but not much).

You've said yourself that you have multiple back injuries that must reduce your flexibility, so you are not who bike manufacturers are making bikes for. Much as I would like more stack on bikes, I accept that there isn't profit in me!
When we're at the extremes, for whatever reason, we need to make adaptions that others might not. If a higher riser bar and higher stem don't fix it for you (and they might screw the handling), then that might not be the bike for you.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

I don't like it either, but I'm an anomaly who can't put a lot of weight on my arms due to an elbow injury. I like a higher handlebar, and I have uncut steer tubes on my fork. People make fun of the number of spacers I have, but I don't care. Steel steer tube only on my forks (rockshox recon silver and rigid steel forks). Only so much rise you can get with a 60mm stem too.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Guyechka said:


> So who else has this issue, and what have you done?


I have this issue because I'm very short waisted. I chose bikes with taller stack heights, then put riser bars and riser stems on them, with stem spacers. Currently ride a '11 Kona Unit 20" (40mm riser bar, 80x30 stem), L Pivot 429T (40mm riser bar, 80x10 stem), and a 56cm Spesh Roubaix (190mm headtube, lots of spacers).

Also, I try not to run any wider bar than necessary, as it makes you lean farther forward.

Look at getting a stem with more rise. Ritchey Comp or Pro has a 30d rise (lousy stems, sadly), Salsa has a 25d, Easton used to make a 30d stem (EC70 I think), but may be unavailable. You can calculate what to buy by using this app:

Stem Comparison Tool | yojimg.net


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Old photo. I think this is a 90x30.









Unfortunately I cut the steering tube in 2011 before I caught the "short stem" bug (now use 80x30). But it's a carbon steerer, so maybe for the best.


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## Guyechka (Jul 19, 2005)

Ryder1 said:


> I have this issue because I'm very short waisted. I chose bikes with taller stack heights, then put riser bars and riser stems on them, with stem spacers. Currently ride a '11 Kona Unit 20" (40mm riser bar, 80x30 stem), L Pivot 429T (40mm riser bar, 80x10 stem), and a 56cm Spesh Roubaix (190mm headtube, lots of spacers).
> 
> Also, I try not to run any wider bar than necessary, as it makes you lean farther forward.
> 
> ...


That is a COOL calculation tool! I just plugged in the numbers and found out that the new stem I will be getting is going to give me 5mm of height. So 50mm rise bars + 5mm on the stem means I will have an extra 15mm. Not too shabby!


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## Guyechka (Jul 19, 2005)

One other thing because I don't want to come off as totally clueless. The bike I had been riding before the Devinci purchase was a Niner ROS 9 with a 140mm fork. I knew that the extra 20mm of fork added enough to the height to save me needing to mess with huge riser bars and some funky stem. Another bike I had this problem with was an On One Parkwood with 120mm fork. I dealt with having to bend over some and just rode the thing. I think that I'm more concerned now because I spent double on this new bike compared to the On One. I want it to work.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

I think you'll be fine with the new bar/stem, then can fine tune it with stem spacers. I like having 1.5mm and 2mm spacers handy, especially if the new stem is a hair shorter/taller than the one it replaced. Let us know how it goes.


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Man and I thought I was having troubles because Cannondale cuts their steerer even on their XL bike stupid short (15mm worth of spacer).

I'm 6 1.5 myself. Alot of torso, lacking on legs/arms. Ride XL frame and right now HOPING I have enough exposed seat tube to fit a dropper at some point. 

I found part of my fit issues were first too narrow of a bar, going nice and wide with a short stem (my new Cannondale came almost perfect except too low).

Don't be afraid of riser stems and such, do what you have to do to fit. My road bike gets weird looks cause I have a big ass riser on it but stack height sucked no matter how big of a frame I went. Do what you gotta do. 

Also remember stem length in riser stems isn't the same as regular stem. Many measure the actual length of the stem, not the reach it creates (well reduces due to the angle). So you gotta pay attention and I'm guessing that calc covers that (phones being a ***** I can't check it)

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

I have ranted on this many times before. Though a taller person often gets by with lower bars relative to the seat due to longer arms, I don't necessarily want my geometry on my All Mountain ride to be the same as my road or time trial bike. I too don't want 2" of steerer and 30mm ride bars. santa cruz, giant, salsa etc. all have micro stacks. I would LOVE to have a SC Hightower but the stack is a full inch lower than my Camber XL Carbon. 


I ended up with a specialized camber which has great stack and reach.


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## keen (Jan 13, 2004)

Years ago XL frames had HT lengths close to 150mm... As of late I am lucky to find a 29er w/ a HT over 120mm. My current frame has me running 3" riser bars and a 25* stem. Onlookers like to tell me my bars are too high until I hop on my bike then my whole bike looks too small - circus bear syndrome.


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

keen said:


> Years ago XL frames had HT lengths close to 150mm... As of late I am lucky to find a 29er w/ a HT over 120mm. My current frame has me running 3" riser bars and a 25* stem. Onlookers like to tell me my bars are too high until I hop on my bike then my whole bike looks too small - circus bear syndrome.


 The smaller wheels and shorter travel had a lot to do with the old HT lengths


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## Hairnet (Jul 23, 2013)

6'5" I just bought a second hand RS Reba from a 6'4" man and had to remove all spacers and the tall dust cap from the headset to get full purchase between the steer tube and stem. But I am still flexible and it isn't so much of a problem, just makes the bike feel more of a XC racer.


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## Kaj (May 8, 2008)

I like run my bikes at "even" saddle to bar height. I've been doing this since the early 90's. 

My saddle height is 83.5 cm. That's a normal height for anyone over 6'4", but high for me being only 6'1" as I'm leggy.

The key I find is to run 4cm of spacers under the stem and a 40mm rise on the hbar (I like SMAC bars). This usually gets me close. I haven't had to run a rise stem at yet. I'm running 29ers with 110mm Headtubes, and 27.5"ers with 135mm Headtubes.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

I've actually been lowering my front stack over the last couple months, while also sliding the saddle forward. I think current trail geometry rewards a rider-forward position: the longer front center invites the rider to move forward without fear of endoing, and remain centered in the bike. And that forward movement is actually a rotation (forward and downward).


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