adjustable stem

[Andre Jute]

Steve, if you're talking about a sprung Brooks, the adjustment on the rails is short, as Jags says, and the bounce not very much; the Thudbuster is probably a better friend in your situation. However, contrary to the other advice here, I would think that sitting more upright, if you can arrange the handlebars somehow, will result in less pain. It's just a more natural position than crouching forward on the bike.

There are basically two kinds of steerer extenders. One fits over the steerer and usually is limited to giving you back a small distance and is not adjustable. The other is a quill that fits inside the steerer and has a top that you fit a standard threadless stem to. The silver component lying inside the left curve of the handlebars in the photo below is a quill steering extender; you can see that it offers considerable adjustment.

A common quill steering extender is made by BBB. Since you can't use a top cap with the quill steering extender, you need some way of locking in the steerer tube and preloading the crown bearings, and for this I use a seatpost clamp, in my case an exact match for the seat post clamp on my seat post. In the photo below it is the component with the twin chrome flashes, pressing down on some spacers, which in turn press on the headset bearing, with above the seatpost clamp a bit of the quill extender visible, and then the stem fitted around the quill. As you can see, an enormously adaptable system at the cost of some extra weight.

[jags]

Andre your a perfectionist

[Andre Jute]

Andre your a perfectionist

I didn't know your wife let you swear, Anto. Maybe I can come live with you...

[jags]

  only when i give her money.

[one arm bandit]

I was 100% right side paralysed 8 years ago. Fortunately I recovered 85-90%. Learning to ride again freed me & gave me reason to live. My neuro rehab centre said I was the only person they knew of that had successfully learnt to ride a bike. I used to ride the 26 mile round trip, every other patient arrived by specially adapted car, etc. I arrived on a bike.  

[Andre Jute]

I was 100% right side paralysed 8 years ago. Fortunately I recovered 85-90%. Learning to ride again freed me & gave me reason to live. My neuro rehab centre said I was the only person they knew of that had successfully learnt to ride a bike. I used to ride the 26 mile round trip, every other patient arrived by specially adapted car, etc. I arrived on a bike.  

Congratulations on what is clearly a feat of willpower and persistence, though you wear your courage lightly. I wish I could have been there to see the faces of the physiotherapists the first day you arrived on your bike!

[one arm bandit]

Thanks Andre.
Instead of the quill could I use this
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/satori-handle-stem-easy-up-1-1-8-inch-adjustable-stem-raiser-prod23752/
Not as versatile as the quill but maybe a lot neater and easy to vary.

What's your thoughts on the adjustable stem in my case. Perhaps putting the two together. Or a shorter stem?
Might be almost cheaper to buy a replacement forks for £130 & sell the original ones.

Is there anything I can do about the thudbuster setting the saddle too far back?

[one arm bandit]

Thanks for your kind words Andre. I'm not courageous just determined and anyway, whats the options, carry on, give up, take up online poker or watch daytime TV?. What would you do?

My balance is very poor and I sometimes fall off the bike on the first pedal stroke. It's always rightwards as I just cannot get my foot off the flat pedal fast enough to stop myself so go down like a falling tree onto my hip & damaged shoulder. Hurts a bit & looks dramatic enough that people stop their cars to help. They kinda have to as I'm sprawled in the road. Needless to say I wear a helmet.

I've been on 2 long hard treks in the Himalayas as well and have an old Sherpa friend to take my arm and steady me.

[Andre Jute]

Thanks Andre.
Instead of the quill could I use this
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/satori-handle-stem-easy-up-1-1-8-inch-adjustable-stem-raiser-prod23752/
Not as versatile as the quill but maybe a lot neater and easy to vary.

What's your thoughts on the adjustable stem in my case. Perhaps putting the two together. Or a shorter stem?
Might be almost cheaper to buy a replacement forks for £130 & sell the original ones.

Is there anything I can do about the thudbuster setting the saddle too far back?

But why would you want the Satori? You don't want to make constant adjustments, you just want to set the handlebars up right and leave them there.

The same actually applies to an adjustable stem if there is a fixed and perhaps lighter solution to an overshortened steerer tube.

Buying a replacement fork, leaving it uncut, and stacking up spacers sounds to me like a good deal, because messing around could soon cost as much and not be as satisfactory. You don't need to put the stem and thus the handlebars right at the top, you can temporarily have spacers on top of the bars, until you have the correct height finally sussed out.

I'll you what, couple of years ago I had a stent put into my heart. But just before this I was installing the n'lock and the Swiss put some stiff, obstructive grease on an already tight-fitting component. I nearly had a heart attack bending over the bike struggling with this thing. Eventually I squirted it full of other grease and it slipped on sweetly. But now I'm careful about bending over the bike and getting frustrated, and just want the job to go right the first time. I imagine you don't want to spend a lot of time fitting up parts and then taking them off again.

Sorry, I can't help you about the Thudbuster. Mine was on a smallframed bike and I wanted the seat (I used it with a Cheeko90, not a Brooks) set back as far as it would go. Dan is the guy to ask; he rides a Thudbuster on a Thorn but he's in Transylvania right now learning to be vampire; maybe there's someone else here who knows it.

[tyreon]

Back again! Got the quill to  aheadset stem from sjs this morning,and the Ritchey adjustable angle job. Fitted both,and they seem just right(though,like when I try to adjust a saddle for a right fit,there's a lotta testing before I am finally satisfied with the final setting) I would like to have had the Ritchey adjustable job get up to 60 degrees,but the seeming 45 or whatever it is,seems right...'for the moment!!)

I try to follow some of the other contributors and the various apparatus they suggest. Sometimes I find it a bit confusing. Am at the 'edge' of what alterations I believe can be achieved on one of my bikes...or what I understand. For this bike I own I think I would just get new forks(for additional height),tho am quite happy where I am now.

Who was on about saddle movement? I mean,adjustment back and forward. Wotsabout that SJS or Spa gizmo that allows you setback movement or forward positioning? Cost about £24? It might be an idea.

I don't know all the links to cycle workshops and the like,but there's some innovative 'workshops'(?) out there that cater for all sorts of people with various demands,disabilites,quirky requests. I like the magazine that's printed up York way that lists quirky stuff,Velovision.

Somewhat earlier I thought my cycling life was going to be curtailed by the arthritic disorder I have. Fortunately this hasn't come about because of new biologic medication.

 I've found sometimes one thing on a bike means you then have to change 3 others. It can be frustrating. And bike shops can't make that much ££ from fine tuning bicycles,and you can feel guilty asking 'em. It's when you order from SJS or the like. But then you've got to know your " from your mm and have correct measuring instruments,correct names for things etc. It can be more difficult that cryptic crosswords