I keep hearing arguments about going to a larger frame or a properly designed frame to get ones handlebars higher. My frames are 64c-c and there is no way I could ride a larger one comfortably. On my Eisentraut w/o a headtube extension there is no way I'm getting my handlebars level with my saddle, even with a Nitto Technomic Deluxe stem. I have seen and owned bikes with stems that have a radical +10 to +20 degree rise to them, and to me they are WAY more hideous looking than a headtube extension. To my untrained eye a "proper" looking bike has a level top tube and a level stem extension.
So, how would one go about getting their handlebars level with their saddle w/o a headtube extension, a sloping top tube or a riser style stem??? What else can one design into a frame that will get the handlebars higher, while still allowing a good seatpost length and maintaining straddle clearance?
Cheers,
Rod Kronenberg
Fort Collins, CO