My wife wants her handle bars higher, how do I do that?

[PNWbrit]

That means sweaty and ridden by alot of people?

POTM......

[marshalolson]

your best bet is to ask her to sit on the bike and put her hands where she wants them.

then figure out whatever stem/handlebar combo will do that - i.e. does she want her hands 2" shorter and 4" higher than where they are now?

if so, roll into the shop and tell them to make the bars go to that position.

you will very likely need to re-run shifter and brake lines to accomplish this, if its more than an inch or two... just FWIW.

[bbense]

But I ask again: What kind of advancement is it that you need a whole new stem or upturned handlebars just to increase the, handlebar height?? Seems the only advance is a money advance right into the builder's or shop's pocketbook.

But you can adjust everything with a 4 or 5mm allen wrench, no special headset wrenches required. And if you're not totally stupid[1] when you cut the steerer, you generally have some range of adjustment.

It makes getting a bike fit when you buy a new bike more important, but in the long run it makes the bike easier to work on. Mechanically it's a much simpler stronger system. All in all, I think it's an overall improvement.

[1]- Sadly many bike in shops are stupidly cut IMHO.

[iscariot]

... just lower her seat and tell her you raised her bars...

Fucking Awesome.

[XXX-er]

But you can adjust everything with a 4 or 5mm allen wrench, no special headset wrenches required. And if you're not totally stupid[1] when you cut the steerer, you generally have some range of adjustment.

It makes getting a bike fit when you buy a new bike more important, but in the long run it makes the bike easier to work on. Mechanically it's a much simpler stronger system. All in all, I think it's an overall improvement.

[1]- Sadly many bike in shops are stupidly cut IMHO.

the ahead set design is WAY better than the old quill system way stiffer/stronger, way more convenient to swap out stems (which the OP needs to do) even cheap aheadset stems are way stronger than a quill, way easier to adjust way way way... way

I have used a quill-to-aheadset adapter and while its heavier it was noticeably stiffer stronger

I would go to the LBS with wifey and probably find a more upright stem possibly with less reach, since this is a relationship issue as well I would splain the situation to the LBS guy possible on the phone before hand and have buddy guide things because anything you say will be about something other than what you are actualy trying to acomplish

I usually don't cut or I don't cut very much of a fork steerer tube on my own bike, cut a fork and if you want to sell it to a guy who has a frame with a longer head tube you are tubed so I will put some spacers either under or on top of the stem and under the starnut to take up excess, taking the front wheel off has always been key for me to feel headset end play ... harder to do with the wheel on

I think wider bars will spread the hands apart making her hunch forward to reach the same distance ?

[powpig]

How about a longer travel fork?

[TeCeBe]

2 pages in and not one post for naked pics you bunch of slackers.

[1000-oaks]

^^^ this or just lower her seat and tell her you raised her bars...

^Win.

Seriously though, unless she's just cruising on flats it'll be a mistake to raise the handlebar. She probably already can't turn worth a damn, and a higher bar will just make it worse. Have your LBS fit on her the bike, it's likely the seat position and stem length need correction.

[XXX-er]

Wider bars are out she is already nervous on the tight single track. She says she wants it like her spin bike at the gym, what ever that means.

why don't you go to the gym measure her spin bike for distance from seat to bar/height of bar above seat/width of bar/ angle of sweep-back yada yada and quit wasting our time ?

[Mr. Toad]

A new wife... one that knows a MTB shouldn't feel like a spin bike.

[Supermoon]

How about a longer travel fork?

Probably don't want to put it in her mind that she should be trading things in for longer travel versions, if you know what I mean.....

[iscariot]

A new wife... one that knows a MTB shouldn't feel like a spin bike.

Lol. More awesome.

[XXX-er]

you want to be right or do you want to be happy?

[Finstah]

If she is mellow and just getting into the sport, you could pick up an adjustable stem http://www.google.com/shopping/produ...ed=0CHcQ8wIwAw and let her play around with where she likes her bars. If she takes to mountain biking and starts riding more aggressively she'll know exactly where she likes em and I'd probably replace the stem at that time with a regular, non adjustable one that puts her in the desired position.

[XXX-er]

ya those^^ are good for intermediate riding !

[McCorduroy]

I got one!

Move the rubber bands higher up on her head.

[PNWbrit]

A new wife... one that knows a MTB shouldn't feel like a spin bike.

Would someone like that marry a guy who had to ask the internetz how to raise the bars on a bike?

I thought it was conventional to at least use an alias for stuff like that.

[Roxtar]

Would someone like that marry a guy who had to ask the internetz how to raise the bars on a bike?

I thought it was conventional to at least use an alias for stuff like that.

Best post of the thread.

[Tuckerman]

A new wife... one that knows a MTB shouldn't feel like a spin bike.

Sounds prohibitively expensive.