I think my bike might be too short for me. I think i’m running a 30mm stem. My height was right on the transition from medium to large but got a medium as i’ve got short legs so erred on the smaller frame. I’ve ridden it quite happily for 3 years, but recently I feel I could benefit from it being a bit longer. It’s a Transition Covert which are quite short bikes but didn’t think I would notice it – which I hadn’t but more recently I think I might have inadvertently changed my riding style and find myself tipping forward alot – I think i’m a much more confident rider than I was when I bought the bike and am now probably leaning a bit more forward and leaning on the front wheel a bit more than I did when I was probably leaning too far back. So if I hit the brakes or hit a bit of a feature on the trail that slows the bike down suddenly I feel myself being thrown forward rather than pushing the bike through it and maintaining momentum.

Anyway, a new frame would be nice, but not on the cards for a while, so I was thinking about running a longer stem and possibly slackening off the HA by a degree or so. So what downsides should I expect apart from the pointing fingers and sniggering from the fashion police crowd?

Dropper with layback or move saddle back?

I had this issue with my mojo hd. Only a change to bigger frame solved it.
Ironically, with short legs for your height you need a bigger frame as your torso is longer than average and needs more reach.
Longer stem won’t help, as this will push your weight further forward. Layback seatpost may help a bit but only by 20mm or so.
My new frame gave 50mm more reach and 75mm longer wheelbase. Made a huge difference even though it has 30mm less travel.

30mm is short, get a 50mm on there and it’ll feel very diffferent (but still handle fine).

You don’t need a longer frame. They’ve certainly become fashionable in the last couple of years, but prior to that, everyone cope just fine with a “correctly” sized frame.
A 30mm stem is dead short though, again, something that’s become fashionable recently. 50mm used to be the standard for a short stem on a DH or jump bike; try a 50 or 60mm stem.

Stem won’t really help as mentioned your weight will just be further forward, bigger frame gives you more bike in front of you, longer stem just puts you further forward meaning even less bike in front of you.

You don’t need a longer frame. They’ve certainly become fashionable in the last couple of years, but prior to that, everyone cope just fine with a “correctly” sized frame.

obviously it is just fashion, bike geometry peaked in 1990 and everything else is poitless 🙄

davidtaylforth – Member

You don’t need a longer frame. They’ve certainly become fashionable in the last couple of years, but prior to that, everyone cope just fine with a “correctly” sized frame.
A 30mm stem is dead short though, again, something that’s become fashionable recently. 50mm used to be the standard for a short stem on a DH or jump bike; try a 50 or 60mm stem.

Oh right, well I guess we managed with a lot of things in the 30’s, best we go back to those days eh.

I think the gist here is that a short 30mm stem only really works when the bike geometry has the missing stem length built into the ETT / reach to create a bike with a short stem that still fits. If your frame has a “short” TT/reach then a short stem ain’t gonna help it fit.

💡 or … 1200mm bars…. 😉

30mm is really short
I’m the opposite to you, long legs short body, so modern geometry is less suited to my body shape than i suspect to yours.
Ive played around a lot lately and gone back to a 70mm from a 50mm stem, at the same time increased the stack height, i had to get new forks with a longer steerer to do that. I suggest get a 50mm stem and see how you get on, also muck about with spacers. Renthal bars are available in different rises too, all of which can tweak the front end position.

Then theres angleset. I’d suggest 1 thing at a time to work out if its better or worse incrementally.

I’m not trying to sell my spare 50mm stems either. Pro FRS or Hope AM incidentally 😉

Short legs for height = longer/larger frame.

I’m about 5’10 and ride a large despite my 29″ ish inside leg measurement.

You could try the 50mm (or even 60mm) stem as chapaking and DT say above. It will give you more reach BUT it will put you over the front a bit more rather than “in” the middle of the bike, which if I read your op right is what you’re actually wanting (being in the middle). It reads like the length/ reach is not an issue when seated but when charging on so presumably when on your feet not sat down. in this case seatpost won’t help and the stem is less likely to give you what you want.

If the stem thing doesn’t work it’s either live with it/adjust back on the riding style or new frame.