I am a male who's 5'11" tall with an inseam of 32". Last summer I bought an Evo Grand Rapid 3 bike with an XL frame, 22"/56cm from a bike shop. I realized that the bike I bought is a hybrid bike, not a road bike. I've been looking at the road bike charts for fit where it recommends 56cm frame for a 5'11" tall person.
The manufacturer's guidelines are: L 20": 5'11" - 6'1" XL 22": 6'1" - 6"4 I found that out later.
When I tested the bike, I did the following:
I have 1 inch of standover clearance. While standing on top of the top tube, I am able to lift the bike exactly 1 inch off the ground.
I am not too concern with the saddle height. Sitting at the lowest point of the saddle, I am able to stand tip-toe. I can comfortably put my heel on the pedal at the 6 o'clock position without a knee bend, put the balls of my foot on the pedal at the 6 o'clock position with a slight knee bend. To achieve this, my seat must be lowered to the lowest point.
I am more concern about the reach. Not sure if I am overthinking, but to reach the handlebar with a slight bend on my arms, my torso need to bend 45 degree relative to the hips, and my arms are angled at 90 degree relative to the torso. Nevertheless, I feel slightly stretched out. I wish the handlebars are just 3cm closer to my body.
I am not sure if the Grand Rapid 3 is a more aggressive bike and that my horizontal posture is intentional. I am used to riding a hybrid bike with a raiser stem and riser handlebar that allows me to achieve a more upright back.
To combat this, do you think it's a good idea to install a handlebar riser that rises the stem? I heard many people say that it is a bad idea because it impacts steering. However, I suspect that they are coming from the road bike perspective.
Will a handle bar riser like this one decrease the effective reach?