which is best?

[e-rider]

....to get the handlebars up for my aching back (on a road bike)

1. short steerer tube; flip the stem so that it points up

2. keep the stem pointing down, and stack loads of spacers under it; 40+ mm (I know this would require a longer steerer which might have already been cut, so might require new forks).

3. use an Ahead extender

I think 2. looks best.

 

[asterix]

Why is you back aching? Are you simply unaccustomed to a lower position or do you have a back injury?

In 2007 I broke 3 vertebrae, 2 in my neck and one in between my shoulder blades. At first long rides were difficult after the injury but I can now use a bike with the bars well below saddle height after rebuilding the muscles needed.

Of course there is no reason why you should not raise the bars inwhich case I would go for 1 as it must be the simplest. Your steering would seem a bit different for a short while but you'd soon get used to it.

 

[hondated]

I am tackling the same problem on my Bianch ML3 I brought the bike new and being naive at the time I brought it as it was in the shop.Given they are a reputable shop in Croydon I have since been disappointed with the service I received. Anyway back to the point I brought an extender to solve the problem and it does but it really looks awful so it is now in the spare parts box.
I would go with either of the other alternative options.

 

[e-rider]

Why is you back aching? Are you simply unaccustomed to a lower position or do you have a back injury?

In 2007 I broke 3 vertebrae, 2 in my neck and one in between my shoulder blades. At first long rides were difficult after the injury but I can now use a bike with the bars well below saddle height after rebuilding the muscles needed.

Of course there is no reason why you should not raise the bars inwhich case I would go for 1 as it must be the simplest. Your steering would seem a bit different for a short while but you'd soon get used to it.

I injured my back surfing 3 years ago and injured my neck 6 years ago. My bars are currently well below my saddle height - perhaps 20+cm (which was fine pre accidents but now I'm fed up with the constant back ache and stiff neck on 60+ mile rides. I have tried flipping the stem and it enables me to ride 100 miles with only minimal pain (but it looks crap)

I was thinking option 2 would improve the look of the bike but still provide the new more upright posistion.

My Focus Cayo can be seen in 'show us your carbon' photo gallery.

 

[e-rider]

I am tackling the same problem on my Bianch ML3 I brought the bike new and being naive at the time I brought it as it was in the shop.Given they are a reputable shop in Croydon I have since been disappointed with the service I received. Anyway back to the point I brought an extender to solve the problem and it does but it really looks awful so it is now in the spare parts box.
I would go with either of the other alternative options.

make sure you get forks with the same rack as your current ones. Bianchi can probably order you a new matching pair with an un-cut steerer tube. I enquired about this with Focus bikes and although they could get forks for a reasonable price they no longer had them in the correct colour scheme to match my bike. Plain black carbon are a safe bet.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

get a variable geometry stem. that way you can keep the same forks and move the bars up/down as desired.

 

[Hover Fly]

I reckon flipping the stem looks better than a stack of spacers, which has that "Thorn Raven" look.