How do I get a more relaxed fit on a Wabi?

When buying or modifying a Wabi build, you can do things to make the ride more relaxed (ie more comfortable). Typically, this means making the rider more upright or having less reach (especially downward) from the saddle to the handlebars. Our frames, on average, have 3" of vertical drop from the saddle to the handlebars using our stock stem setup and drop bars. The horizontal reach is based on a default for each size. You can see the chart on this page to see if a shorter or longer stem makes sense based on your height.

Get a larger frame size. Going with the larger size will usually mean a more relaxed fit if you are between sizes. This is because the larger frame will be relatively taller and have less drop from the saddle to the bars. However, you must be careful that the standover will work for your inseam. You should have at least an inch between your actual inseam (without shoes) and the standover to make sure you clear the top tube with the shoes on. It will be tight, but some people prefer this taller frame versus a smaller frame with more clearance and a more significant saddle-to-bar drop.

Use riser handlebars. Riser handlebars will raise the bars by about 1.7". They also require less reach, given you only grip at the straight bar portion (versus the hoods of a drop bar or horns of a bullhorn bar).
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Change the stem length or angle. One of the best ways to raise any handlebar is to use an angled stem versus our 'flat' stem installation. This can raise the bar from .5" to 1.5" (or more with high-angled stems). For smaller increases, it will require a 3rd party stem in a 6-degree or 10-degree option that we offer on our site. The 1.5" increase can be accomplished by flipping the stock stem. See image below for reference. Note that using angled stems does change the look of the bike. However, the function should win over form.
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Move the saddle forward or change the seatpost setback. If you want even less reach from the saddle to the bars but don't want to shorten the stem anymore, you can either move the saddle forward on the seat post clamp to shorten the reach by about 12mm/.5" or change to a zero setback seatpost to shorten the reach by 24mm/1". Our stock seatpost has a 24mm setback (offset backward from the center of the seat tube to the clamp by 24mm) with the saddle installed in the middle of the seatpost clamp. This is the ideal position to the pedals for your geometry. However, if you want less reach, you can change that without significant changes in pedal efficiency. Check out our saddle/seatpost page for some of the zero setback options.

Jul 9, 2024

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