Gravelywanger frame options?

[FLV]

Hi, I wondered wif anyone can come up with some options i haven't found yet?

I have a pinnacle arkose d3. Its a really good bike, however i cant get away from the fact that it feels a little long for me.
Im 5,11 or 182cm tall. So theoretically its the right size, i have a reasonable amount of seatpost showing at 195mm clamp to rails. The height of the bars feels ok when im holding the straight bits near the stem ish. However it always feels a streatch to be on the hoods and i cant really use the drops much at all.

Ive aready got an inline post and shortish stem fitted.

Im aware I'm a 'bit' out of shape and not very flexible...


So, any more tips to improve the situation?
Or...
Any suggestions for a frame to swap to? I do spend a fair amount of time looking at the fairlight secan which is lovely and 15mm shorter reach / same height stack. (But proper money)

Cheers

[Boab]

https://phrakture.github.io/starting-stretching.html

[BigdummySteve]

I have the curve Walmer bar on my Fargo, mine is the 55cm version. If you’re already running a wide bar they might be worth a look in the 46cm guise. Unlike most bars they have some sweep to the flat section, more comfortable and also reduces the reach to the hoods/drops.

[PaulB2]

I flipped my stem, which made the hoods comfy and the drops reachable

[fatbikephil]

High and short stem good (ergotec high charisma!) but counter-intuitively, putting a layback post may help. Tom ritchey wrote a good piece for Sheldon Browns website yonks ago. In brief, the further back your erse, the easier it is to counter balance your arms and upper torso, reducing weight on wrists.

[FLV]

I have a 70mm 0 degree stem on there at the moment so flipping that wont help

Ill look up tom ritcheys article

[PaulB2]

I have a 70mm 0 degree stem on there at the moment so flipping that wont help

Ill look up tom ritcheys article

Well it’d weather the bottom of the stem evenly?

[FLV]

Fair point, ill get right to that

[BigdummySteve]

My Fargo also runs a short 30 deg rise stem, This also pulls the reach back a little, the tops are therefore at saddle height. It’s all day comfortable and I had very little discomfort on the Spanish C2C which was nine days. I think a lot of gravel bikes appear to be set up much like road bikes, not great for comfort.

[Charliecres]

Yup, I’d try a high-rise stem and some shallow drops.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think all my drop barred bikes have stems fitted that are something like 30 degree and 70mm long. For my height I've got long legs and a short body (is such a thing possible) which no doubt effects things. I also like to make full use of the entire bar and usually descend on the drops with the tops / hoods nice and high for relaxed pootling.

[FLV]

Seems like a relatively cheap thing to try first then

[FLV]

Its quite interesting when you start looking into geometries, it does seem that the 'Gravel' market is aimed squarely at road riders transitioning to a bit of dirt. A lot of frames seem to be very minor tweaks to road geometry and add marginally wider tyres. Most of them don't raise the stack much at all which makes me think road bike with wide tyres.
A bit disappointing but I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, after all... they do look like road bikes.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Its quite interesting when you start looking into geometries, it does seem that the 'Gravel' market is aimed squarely at road riders transitioning to a bit of dirt. A lot of frames seem to be very minor tweaks to road geometry and add marginally wider tyres. Most of them don't raise the stack much at all which makes me think road bike with wide tyres.
A bit disappointing but I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, after all... they do look like road bikes.

True.

I think that what we might consider to be a 'touring' bike is perhaps closer to what we also might consider to be a 'gravel' bike with regard to numbers?

[Boab]

CyclingTips have just done their inaugural CyclingTips Gravel Bike Field Test. Plenty of info on a whole range of gravel wankery, from more road, to more trail, etc, etc.

[FLV]

Cheers, i have to say I'm not hugely into the scene as such, but i find the genre to be a practical bike. Trying a rise stem later this evening (stolen from thenwifes bike)

[FLV]

I have the curve Walmer bar on my Fargo, mine is the 55cm version. If you’re already running a wide bar they might be worth a look in the 46cm guise. Unlike most bars they have some sweep to the flat section, more comfortable and also reduces the reach to the hoods/drops.

Do you know where to buy curve in the UK? I cant seem to find them to even price them up. Very short reach figures though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Direct only as far as I know Dave.

[FLV]

Cheers, I'll likely look at others then as they get too pricy to 'try out' with shipping, and I would expect also tax.

ta

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've got Digest bars fitted to my Arkose. I like 'em.

[FLV]

I plumped for a set of spanknvibrocore bars i found in a sale. Theyre 20mm shorter reach on paper. Big difference i must say, lots better.

The flared position is weird as ive not tried it before, but im sure I'll get used to that.

Next step is to pop on a 7 degree rise stem, still 70mm long. I suspect thatll be better again. I also have a 7 degree by 60mm to try.

The stems were on sale at 12 quid each so unused ones can remain in the spares box happily.

[FLV]

The investigation is still on. I've got some grim neck ache recently, not sure if its from doing more miles on this and the position doesn't suit me, or that I am just weak

[pushbikemike]

High and short stem good (ergotec high charisma!) but counter-intuitively, putting a layback post may help. Tom ritchey wrote a good piece for Sheldon Browns website yonks ago. In brief, the further back your erse, the easier it is to counter balance your arms and upper torso, reducing weight on wrists.

This^
Layback seatpost really did make a huge difference for me in terms of comfort. I'm on a large pinnacle arkose d1 and 5'11". I put wider cow chipper bars on too.

[chris n]

High and short stem good (ergotec high charisma!) but counter-intuitively, putting a layback post may help. Tom ritchey wrote a good piece for Sheldon Browns website yonks ago. In brief, the further back your erse, the easier it is to counter balance your arms and upper torso, reducing weight on wrists.

You sure it was by Tom Ritchey? There's a very good article by Keith Bontrager that covers the same topic: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/kops.html

[Bearbonesnorm]

7 degree stem? Stop messing about, 30 degree or more'll sort you right out.