WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The rider who feels stretched out and uncomfortable
Your lower back rounds, your hands go numb and your neck aches — classic signs of too much reach.
The rider who bought their bike online
You sized the frame off a chart and want to dial in reach without a full professional fit.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
If there's one fit error Anthony hears about more than any other, it's too much reach — and it traces straight back to how most people buy bikes. The shop or the online size chart pushes you toward the bigger frame, you stretch out to reach the bars, and from that day on your back is rounding, your hands are taking your bodyweight and your neck is craning. Daryl Fitzgerald, who fits World Tour riders, calls the too-big, too-long bike the single most common mistake amateurs make, and reach is where it bites.
The fix is one of the cheapest in cycling. A stem is £30–50 and comes in 10mm steps, and swapping it is a five-minute job with an Allen key. The mistake riders make is reaching for a new bike when a 10mm shorter stem would transform the position. Anthony's framing here is the usual one: this is fixable, and it's fixable today, not after another £4,000 of frame.
The one thing to get right is the order. Reach and saddle setback are a system, and people muddle them. Set your saddle fore-aft for your knees first — knee over pedal spindle, neutral pelvis — and lock that in. Only then do you size the stem to bring the bars to where your arms want them. If you slide the saddle forward to shorten reach, you've just wrecked your knee position to fix your hands. Saddle for the legs, stem for the arms — keep those two jobs separate and the whole front end falls into place.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Daryl FitzgeraldWorld Tour bike fitter at Science to Sport
The most common mistake amateurs make is riding a bike that is too big and too long, and excess reach is where that error does its damage. More reach than the rider needs rounds the lower back, loads the hands and stretches the neck — three of the most common fit complaints all stemming from one measurement that's too long.
Hear it: The 1 Bike Fit Change That Costs Cyclists Watts | Roadman Cycling - Phil BurtFormer Team Sky and British Cycling physiotherapist and bike fitter
Reach should be set so the rider can hold a relaxed, slightly bent-arm position with a flat back rather than a stretched, rounded one. A shorter stem is one of the highest-return changes a fitter makes, because it takes load off the hands, neck and lower back at once — and it's fully reversible if it turns out to be too much.
Hear it: 5 Bike Fit Mistakes | Roadman Cycling Podcast
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Set saddle setback for your knees first
Before touching the stem, sit on the bike (on a turbo) with the cranks horizontal. Drop a plumb line from the front of your forward knee — it should pass roughly through the pedal spindle. Adjust saddle fore-aft to achieve this. This is a knee-position decision, not a reach decision — lock it in before sizing the stem.
Photograph yourself on the hoods and check the arms and back
Have someone film or photograph you from the side, riding on the hoods at a steady effort. Your elbows should show a slight 10–15 degree bend, your shoulders should look relaxed rather than hunched up by your ears, and your back should be flat, not rounded into a C. Locked-out elbows or a rounded back mean too much reach.
Change the stem in 10mm steps
If you're stretched out, fit a stem 10mm shorter and ride it two or three times. Stems are cheap, reversible and come in 10mm increments, so you can dial reach precisely without committing. If 10mm shorter feels cramped and twitchy, go back up. Adjust one increment at a time and let your body judge it over real rides.
Mind the handling, not just the comfort
A stem that's too short makes the steering feel quick and nervous, especially descending; too long makes the bike feel sluggish and stretched. Test any stem change on a descent and in a tight corner, not just on a flat road. The right reach feels comfortable and keeps the handling predictable.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKESliding the saddle forward to shorten reach.
FIXThat moves your knee out of position and creates knee pain. Set saddle fore-aft for your knees, then change the stem to fix reach.
MISTAKEBuying a new bike when a stem swap would solve it.
FIXMost reach problems are a £30–50 stem change, not a £4,000 frame. Try the stem first — it's reversible and immediate.
MISTAKESetting reach to look aggressive rather than to fit.
FIXA stretched-out, rounded-back position isn't fast, it's just sore. Set reach so you can hold a flat back with relaxed shoulders for the whole ride.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What's the difference between reach and stem length?
How do I know if my stem is too long?
Can I fix reach by rotating my handlebars?
Does stem length affect handling?
What stem angle should I use?
Should reach change between road and gravel bikes?
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