[Closed] Stack & reach question (road bikes)

Feel is more about the geo and the way the frame's built and what you build it up with. Stack and reach is really more about fit.

In what way do you think your current frame is too small for you? Do you need a huge stack of spacers under the stem, or a really long stem?

Depends, how slammed are your bars currently?

As long as you can get the bars in the same place they'll fit the same. If your current frame is too small surely you need a bigger size?

Thanks

Feels like the current frame has a big drop from seat to bars unless I use spacers and/or positive stem - I have back trouble so not really looking for an "aero" position

I guess I'm just trying to understand the relationship between stack and reach given that the three frames above all have similar reach measurements

Hard to say how different they will 'feel' as there are other variables like BB height, headset type, spacers, stem angle/length etc. Why does your current frame feel small?

Assuming all else is equal then:

Frame 2: Imagine your bars about 3cm higher and a tiny smidgin closer to you.
Frame 3: Imagine your bars about 5cm higher and about 1cm further away.

I expect you'd find these differences very noticeable.

edit: Just saw your follow up post. Essentially more reach gives you a 'longer' fit, and more stack gives you a 'taller' fit. They are independent of each other, taking the bottom bracket as the reference point.

I guess I'm just trying to understand the relationship between stack and reach given that the three frames above all have similar reach measurements

There isn't one really. One is the horizontal from BB to the top of the head tube, the other is the vertical.

I guess broadly, frames with long reach and low stack tend to be race oriented, and ones with short reach and high stack tend to be more "comfort" oriented.