build up (cleaned all the parts and painted the frame) this 26“ that my neighbor gave me for my daughter to use. the height is ok, but the reach is too long for her. what can i do? change quill stem? change bars? if so, what kind?
by ecjecj
build up (cleaned all the parts and painted the frame) this 26“ that my neighbor gave me for my daughter to use. the height is ok, but the reach is too long for her. what can i do? change quill stem? change bars? if so, what kind?
by ecjecj
6 Comments
Is it for just getting around the neighborhood? Swept back/cruiser handle bars might do the trick.
First, nice of your neighbor for the gift and you for the built
You could find shorter stems but this is already quite short so my instinct would go towards changing the bars instead. Anything that sweeps back without being overly wide from end to end
Time for a trip at the local co op (assuming/hoping you’ve got one)
If that stem has any height adjustment available, and assuming the front brake cable has some slack, you might be able to fix her position just by increasing the height of the bars.
If that doesn’t do the trick, bars with more sweep and/or rise are going to be your best bet.
Edit: just noticing from the pic that the stem has an integrated cable stop for the front brake, which means raising the bars will require a new brake cable. That seems like a PitA!
You could still check if the bars have any height available first by releasing the straddle cable from the front brake (this will disable the brake of course), and seeing where the insertion limit is. This can tell you whether the adjustment might be worth the cost and hassle of setting up a new front brake. New bars will also likely require a new front brake cable and housing too fwiw.
Stem is already up and short, saddle is forward, so the next step is a sweep/rise bar. Velo Orange Tourist-bar will do this.
Increase stem height then try different bars.
For what it’s worth, you could just opt for the Nitto touring stem, which will dramatically increase the height adjustability for that bike.
I recommend some “Dutch style” comfort handlebars. They rise up and sweep back at an angle for a more comfortable riding position.