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Stem length and angle are another critical component of the bike fitting process. You may hear them referred to collectively as "reach".
Finding the right length of the stem focuses on getting you comfortable with about a 30-degree bend in your elbows with your hands on the brake hoods. Without this bend, the road vibrations will work directly up your arms to your shoulders and neck muscles causing severe neck muscle pain and head aches. You DO NOT want straight arms because the bend in the elbow permits the arms to act like a shock absorber.
For most people, the height of the stem should be such that it is just below the nose of the saddle when looking at the stem from the front. Most people can have their backs straight with a proper stem position but some of us will have a hump because of our anatomy. Therefore, get the back as straight as is comfortable and quit. Perfectly flat is not required.
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