bike fit modifications.
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glbrum posted 2 years ago.
If you can post a picture, that would be extremely helpful. You don't have o be on the bike, but you could be if you wanted to. Most likely getting more aggressive = more aero, which = flipping the stem (so it's flat) and removing some spacers.
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jtaltendahl posted 2 years ago.
the only pic i have is kind of dark.
http://i2.tinypic.com/otdt8n.jpg
i can take another one tonight and post tomorrow if this doesnt help much.
there are 3 or 4 spacers on the headset...does that have anything to do with it?
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glbrum posted 2 years ago.
That picture is fine. Yea, the spacers are what is between you and being more aggresive. You can also flip the stem so that it is not pointing up but rather more on a flat plane. Wait to do that until you have gotten to the point where all the spacers are gone from under your stem, yet you want to go lower. Taking out spacers is very easy. If they are 1cm each, then take out one at a time so that it is not too drastic. Here are the steps to taking your stem off and removing spacers:
1. unscrew and remove the top cap (probably a 6mm allen wrench)
2. loosen(no need to take out) screws on either side of stem closest to the saddle.
3.lift stem/handlebar cneection off of steerer tube.
4. take 1 spacer off of the stack
5. put stem/handlebar back on steerer tube
6. put the removed spacer on the steerer tube above the stem
7. put top cap back on steerer tube (don't tighten yet)
8. while straddling the bike, grip the front wheel with your legs and make sure it is lined up with the frame.
9.adjust handlebars so they are straight.
10. tighten stem bolts and top cap (Make them very tight so nothing comes loose)
Ride alot ad ride often to get used to the position. I went from a full stack to one spacer over time. I took about 1 month per spacer and then dropped it again. It worked pretty well so far.
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JamieM posted 2 years ago.
glbrum wrote:
10. tighten stem bolts and top cap (Make them very tight so nothing comes loose)
I was with you up until that point. Careful tightening down the top cap. That's what sets the pressure on the bearings, too much and you lose steering performance, too little and everything gets sloppy. Tighten the top bolt down until the stem and fork can no longer be moved (as in side to side and front to back, not the sterring movement) in the frame, but make sure the movement is still smooth. Then straighten the wheel and tighten the stem bolts.
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jtaltendahl posted 2 years ago.
thanks for the advice....i will give it a shot tonight...
though im not ready to do it yet, id still like to know what you are talking about when you say flip the stem.
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JamieM posted 2 years ago.
Just that flip it. Remove it, turn it over and reinstall it.
Remove the top cap. Loosen the stem bolts. Remove the plate holding tha handlebar on. Flip the stem over (this is the reason a lot of stems come with mirror image graphics, so they are readable when the stem is flipped).
Reattach the top cap and tighten as described in my previous post. Reinstall the handlebars and adjust the angle.
It should drop the bars a good bit based on the picture.
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glbrum posted 2 years ago.
jtaltendahl wrote:
thanks for the advice....i will give it a shot tonight...though im not ready to do it yet, id still like to know what you are talking about when you say flip the stem.
What I mean is you take the stem and put it on upside-down. All stem are "double-sided" like that. If you notice at the point where the stem attaches to the steerer tube, the angle of the stem goes up. You can flip the stem so that the angle it more flat, thus bringing the height of the bars down. It's just another way to get your bars lower in front.
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jtaltendahl posted 2 years ago.
does anyone off hand know the +/- degree angles on a felt st 6061 stem? ive been looking all over online and cant find it...
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Jeyradan posted 2 years ago.
Our shop sells Felt pretty regularly, so I can grab that info for you by tomorrow night if you don't find it anywhere else.
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jtaltendahl posted 2 years ago.
yeah man...that would be sweet....i have looked extensively online and not found a thing yet...
its the felt st 6061 stem...it came stock on my s32...
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Jeyradan posted 2 years ago.
We have the ST-12 as stock on our S32s... is that the stem you have? The degree of offset on that stem is +/- 7 degrees. (Sorry it took so long to get back to you, but I thought I was looking for a different stem...)
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jtaltendahl posted 2 years ago.
im pretty sure that is what i have...it does say st on the side of it.
thanks for getting back to me...
when i was fitted for my tri bike, they told me that as i was a newb they would give me a more comfortable set up than an all out race/power set up...they said i could make minor adjustments after my muscles developed.
well, ive been riding on it for about 3 months and i think im starting to build the muscle mass, so now how do a adjust my bike to be more aggresive? anyone have any good articles?