Reach adjust headsets, worth it for 5mm?

Wouldn’t mind making the reach on my bike a little longer but like the saddle where it is and have 50mm stem on so don’t want to go longer there, I like the handling now. If I put my saddle back 5mm I can tell, undecided if it’s worth it for a 5mm longer reach though. Anyone running one and think it’s worth it?

Moving the saddle back won’t increase the “reach” of the frame. It will however increase the reach distance of saddle to bars.

The “reach” of a bike is the horizontal distance between the BB and the centre line of where the fork protrudes from the head tube.

To increase your reach to the bars, without changing the geometry of the bike is A: longer stem, B: move the saddle back, C: wider bars.

Or D: a new frame.

I meant I can usually tell 5mm change. Typical twi*t STW reply.

*a

Post up an example of a “reach adjust headset” and we’ll go from there.

bbw, it’s one of these

http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/reach-adjust—ec44-ec55-headset—to-suit-tapered-steerer-tube—5mm-reach-1549-p.asp

Alters the position of the protrusion.

I wouldn’t notice 5mm reach difference, but then I don’t seem to be that sensitive to set-up anyway. A friend of mine will faff around with bar height in 5mm increments but, to be honest, I think that, with him, it’s a sort of placebo thing.
I’m probably too crap a rider to be tuned into fine changes.

A genuine reply here not a mick take…

I think only you (op) can answer that question mate?

A fair amount of money but if you believe it will make a positive difference to your ride, go for it.

I wouldn’t notice 5mm difference I think but I am not you. 🙂

Roll the bars, that might give you 5mm.

I reckon Id notice it, but not necessarily need it.

On a few rides I swop around with my mates and its surprising what you do and dont notice with other setups. Most of the time you just get used to it.

I reckon 5mm is something you can get used to. Whereas 50mm is something you need to change.

Yes, roll the bars forwards a bit – depending on the rise you’ll easily get 5mm.

OK. Fair enough. Like an angle adjust headset but with the eccentric offset on the same side rather than opposite.

5mm I’d not notice or get used to very quickly. But I ride two very different bikes equally. That headset seems a lot of money to try something you may not notice. The only thing I’m fussy about is saddle angle. The difference between numb plums and comfort is surprisingly small.

The reason for the piss take was someone was asking about reach and ETT recently and was completely confused about what was what.

I’ll crawl back under my rock and find a suitable sense of humour.

🙄

Won’t be rolling my bars forward, like the sooty just how it is.

Rolling your bars forward (or back) has the same effect as changing stem length (but with some grip angle/height changes too). Very short stems don’t self-centre when you weight the bars, less short ones do. I don’t know what happens with long stems, it’s years since I rode a bike with more than 60mm of stem length! But 35 and 50mm steer very differently even when all else is equal.

A new headset is much cheaper than a new frame! But 5mm isn’t a lot, just over 1% change. There are many worse things to spend money on though…

Rolling bars forward would be the equivalent of putting on a 5mm longer stem and then **** with your back and up sweep. Screw that