Shorter Higher Slacker

[James7475]

Hey

Anyone with short arms for their height find this to be a bettter set-up than longer lower slacker??

At 172cm tall and a short wingspan of 156 (the average wingspan is slightly longer than height) I’ve just shortend my stem from 50-35mm and increased the height in my bar from 20-60mm and it’s made a world of difference as I can fully weigh the BB without over-reaching. My wrists/hands also hurt less after each ride as I’m putting less pressure on them. The 430mm reach of the bike is already deemed short by current standards for my height too.

It may mean that I’m not in what is regarded as the ideal position on the bike but at 40, and relatively in-flexible with poor core strength that could do with being worked on, it means I’m in a position that has increased my confidence. I’m going faster than ever and feel I have more grip….this includes going round corners/berms and not just steep downhill sections.

Obviously it makes sense to ride how it feels the most natural/comfortable/etc but I’m just interested in what people think and if anyone is doing the same.

Cheers
Jimmy The Reach

 

[steve_sordy]

The comparison between height and wingspan (I'm assuming fingertip to finger tip) is not one I had considered before. For example, I didn't know that the wingspan is supposed to be longer than the height. Where does that come from?

Now I think about it, for a long time now I have had at the back of my mind that the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci had the "correct" proportions. From the image below you can see that height equals wingspan. Although he may have used his artistic skills to make the body shape fit the square and circle overlaying the image below. He was a genius after all.

I'm 187cm tall with a 180cm wingspan, so I don't fit Leonardo's ideal either. And the wedding tackle looks a bit small too, except on a cold day!

 

[James7475]

The comparison between height and wingspan (I'm assuming fingertip to finger tip) is not one I had considered before. For example, I didn't know that the wingspan is supposed to be longer than the height. Where does that come from?

Now I think about it, for a long time now I have had at the back of my mind that the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci had the "correct" proportions. From the image below you can see that height equals wingspan. Although he may have used his artistic skills to make the body shape fit the square and circle overlaying the image below. He was a genius after all.

I'm 187cm tall with a 180cm wingspan, so I don't fit Leonardo's ideal either. And the wedding tackle looks a bit small too, except on a cold day!

View attachment 73469

Haha.

It’s not that wingspan is supposed to be longer, it’s just how the average male is proportioned…..and probably something that’s taken into account by the frame builders. Have you tried a high stack, short reach bike?

Cheers

 

[steve_sordy]

Haha.

It’s not that wingspan is supposed to be longer, it’s just how the average male is proportioned…..and probably something that’s taken into account by the frame builders. Have you tried a high stack, short reach bike?

Cheers

High Stack short reach is not good for me because I have a long torso and although I have a 32"-33" inside leg, it is short for my height.