just brought a giant defy 2 . had a test ride on one 2 months ago and found it a bit long in the reach as have a bad lower back (see other post at , last made a decision ).want to put a shorter stem on it and maybe a differant angle .anyone got any ideas that will not cost as much as a new bike as i am just a weekend rider . the one on the bike at the moment i think is 110mm long . i ve seen this has been an issue with other riders of this bike .
changing the stem
- Thread starter surfdude
- Start date
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My LBS has them in for £20-£30.
They are probably about half that online but I'd suggest trying your LBS to ensure you get the right length, angle and size for your bars and steerer. Mine has said that I can try a few (they take seconds to swap) if I want to change the position on any of my bikes.
Although, of course, Ian's suggestion is a good starting point if you want a quick solution.
citybabe
Keep Calm and OMG.......CAKES!!
- Location
- Lowestoft Suffolk
You are having the same problem as me then with my Bianchi. I spoke to a chap at Evans in Reading over the weekend and he told me that if I shorten the stem (mine is a 100mm) I run the risk of having a very twitchy ride so what I have done is to buy a shorter reach handlebar and will try turning over the stem to slightly raise them too. If this doesn't work then I may try a stem with a rise.
SteelRex
New Member
- Location
- California, The Left Coast
Unless you’re just looking to start a stem collection, I wouldn’t just blindly buy one and hope for the best. IMHO you would be better off starting with a proper bike fitting. Ask around and find a LBS with someone who will ask questions about your riding preferences, and not just whip out a text book and a plumb bob.
The necessary adjustments could just as easily be your saddle position (up, down, forward, aft). After a good fitting, you should walk out the door with all of the necessary measurements to replicate the riding position on just about any bike.
As for a new stem, once your riding position is determined, they’ll measure both the length and angle required to get you as close to the new position as possible.
When weighed against the discomfort of riding a bike in the wrong position, getting fitted properly will seem like a small price to pay.
The necessary adjustments could just as easily be your saddle position (up, down, forward, aft). After a good fitting, you should walk out the door with all of the necessary measurements to replicate the riding position on just about any bike.
As for a new stem, once your riding position is determined, they’ll measure both the length and angle required to get you as close to the new position as possible.
When weighed against the discomfort of riding a bike in the wrong position, getting fitted properly will seem like a small price to pay.
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
And a good starting point might even be as simple as flipping the stem you have currently, although I'm not sure that's possibly on the Defy I did it on one of my bikes and it was all the adjustment I needed.
And it was free.
Just done that on my Defy 2 and it has shortened the reach noticeably.
