Hi Joe, Fellow Clem owner and also 5'6" (shorter legs, longer torso). For all the talk of "joyously upright", the Clems have a very aggressive stack/reach. You need a very swept back bar if you want to get upright.
My experience: I had a 2019 Clem 45 H and was very comfortable with bullmoose bars (the Nitto fillet brazed version, with an "effective" 150mm stem length, 30° sweep). I tried Boscos and didn't have room for my knees. There is no way I could straddle a 52cm Clem H. I also have a 2019 Clem 45 L (with 26" wheels, pre the 27.5" on the 45). There was a geometry update to the Clem L in late 2019, and that's the kind I have. AFAIK, the geometry did not change on the H. With the updated geometry, the ETT on the Clem L is 625mm - the Clem H had an ETT of 575mm. Both the L and the H have a reach over 400mm. Bikes that fit great for me typically have a reach under 400mm (17" Black Mountain La Cabra or 52cm XO-1). For this longer ETT Clem L, I needed a swept back bar to make it comfortable. Albatross bars were too much of a stretch, but Toscos fit the bill (on 80cm stem). In summary: I am your height, but have had 2 Clems in the size smaller than yours. Due to the geometry differences between the Clem H and Clem L, I could not run swept back bars on the Clem H and I cannot run bars without a significant sweep on the Clem L. I think you could keep your bike and try changing your bars to something more swept back. Or You could try finding a Clem H 45cm (from 2019 - I think that's the last year they were made) and you'd probably be good with the bullmoose bars you have. Or You could try a newer Clem L 45cm (could use your wheels, etc.), but you'd probably want a swept back bar. Cheers, John (somewhere in the middle of France on a TGV) On Monday, March 30, 2026 at 5:47:48 PM UTC+2 [email protected] wrote: > Hi all, > > Thanks for the thoughtful feedback; there's definitely a lot to digest > here. The original build actually had Bosco bars, and based on your > comments, it sounds like I probably should have stayed with those. > > Best regards, > > Joe > > > On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 10:51 PM Zachary Cannon <[email protected]> wrote: > >> You've asked a difficult question, because it sounds like you aren't >> quite comfortable on your Clem. For me, that means that your picture could >> be indicative of a lot of different things, not all of which would be fixed >> by a change in bike size. It's easier to see a bike that's been made >> comfortable for a rider but has a particularly long, short or high >> stem/saddle, and consider how the bike could be made more comfortable. >> >> It might be worth trying to dial the fit that works for your body first, >> and then decide which size and model of frame best aligns. Little things >> make a big difference for me in fit, such as raise or lowering bars and my >> seat 2-3mm at.a time. Adjust stem reach and saddle setback bit by bit, >> along with their angles. Once you get that all dialed in through trial and >> error and perhaps reader up here and elsewhere on fit, it might be clear >> what frame optimizes the fit your want. >> >> Having lived in Chicago for many years previously, I think it's a >> location that demands a good fit because the lack of hills means you tend >> to ride in the same position all the time. >> >> I hope that helps and doesn't feel like a dodge. >> Best, Zach in ABQ >> >> >> >> >> On Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 7:16:15 PM UTC-6 [email protected] wrote: >> >>> @David, >>> >>> "One thing thing to add is that you don’t really need a setback seatpost >>> on any Rivendell due to the slack seatpost tube." >>> >>> Au contrairie, I own 52cm Clem Smith Jr. "L" bicycle, I have a long >>> torso and short limbs. This bicycle fits and suits all of my needs with >>> Nitto Bosco bars. I have a Sakae Ringyo MTE-100 seatpost on it, This adds a >>> lot more comfort and allows me to sit further back onto the rear wheel and >>> not directly over the BB. Everyone has a different body and customizes >>> their bikes to fit their body portions for comfort. >>> >>> Kim Hetzel. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 4:40 PM David Ross <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> The bike looks like it fits to me, and well within the range that the >>>> contact points can be made to work. One thing thing to add is that you >>>> don’t really need a setback seatpost on any Rivendell due to the slack >>>> seatpost tube. You’ll be able to move the saddle forward approximately an >>>> inch with a straight post. Just an idea. Otherwise, you’ll need to >>>> experiment with different stem/bar combos. You can get really close by >>>> measuring where you want your hands to be and then backing into it. >>>> >>>> On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 1:11 PM Richard Rose <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I am not certain what the question here is? That Clem looks well >>>>> sorted fit wise. Appropriate(?) amount of seat post showing with room to >>>>> adjust in either direction. So the frame size seems good vertically at >>>>> least? I am not a fan of PBH sizing. I know my saddle height, my >>>>> preferred >>>>> barometer. >>>>> Further, I am not sure what relationship there might be between PBH or >>>>> saddle height & reach? >>>>> I am 5’10” tall. My saddle height is 72.5cm. I ride a 52 Clem L with a >>>>> 130mm FacePlater stem & 580 wide Bosco. I also ride a 57 Gus with a 35mm >>>>> stem with a 785 wide, much less swept back (Albacore) bar. Contact points >>>>> are nearly identical on both bikes with the exception of bar width. I >>>>> guess >>>>> my thought is if the saddle is right all else can be fine tuned via bar & >>>>> stem. That said, I am no fit expert. >>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>> >>>>> On Mar 29, 2026, at 12:35 PM, Joe Alter <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Hi all, >>>>> >>>>> I'm writing to you from the Roscoe Village neighborhood in Chicago. >>>>> >>>>> I'm joining the group to learn more about how others are sizing their >>>>> rigs. As much as I love the Clem, I’m starting to suspect I might be a >>>>> better fit for a 50cm (I'm 5'6" with a shorter torso), so I’m looking >>>>> forward to reading through the archives here regarding PBH and reach. >>>>> >>>>> Best regards, >>>>> >>>>> Joe >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> <IMG_5456.jpeg> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e526d4f6-2fc3-4bde-a21c-62c488a83545n%40googlegroups.com >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e526d4f6-2fc3-4bde-a21c-62c488a83545n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> <IMG_5456.jpeg> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>> To view this discussion visit >>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/DAFC338C-F090-4E28-BF41-F468ACECDBC7%40gmail.com >>>>> >>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/DAFC338C-F090-4E28-BF41-F468ACECDBC7%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> >>> To view this discussion visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CADA0aDdvDaF-Mhxeb5QfkC-cZ3haoAkuP%3D9wJy8mxFHCzz2%3DMA%40mail.gmail.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CADA0aDdvDaF-Mhxeb5QfkC-cZ3haoAkuP%3D9wJy8mxFHCzz2%3DMA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/AYfSHL6s3nc/unsubscribe >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c5941b05-ef2c-44b7-82ee-60e1313abeecn%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c5941b05-ef2c-44b7-82ee-60e1313abeecn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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