Road Cycling - How low should the hanblebar be?

Hello again. Just wanted to know the rule of thumb in regards to the height of the handle bar from the top of the headset. It seems like i had to put a lot of spacers between the stem and the headset. The length of the steering tube seems to be long and must have come from the factory-trek. I just don't know if this was a made to order customized frameset. Is the height of the handle bar based on comfort or more on aerodynamics? At this time, i did not do anything to it as you can see in the picture. PLease note that the saddle height is not truelly measured yet since it is still being assembled. I was looking at some of the bikes posted and on TV during the tour de france. I can tell that most handle bars are lower than the saddle height. What's the general rule ? Thanks.

Bar height is a personal comfort thing. If you struggle or are uncomfortable in the drops then your bar may be too low.

BTW, rule of thumb dictates that the bar ends be parallel to the ground. Your pic shows them pointing up slightly.

Seems to me that finding the most comfortable and efficient handle bar height (and stem length) are so dependent on and individual's flexibility and morphology
that one can't depend on "rules of thumb". Consider going down to your LBS and asking them to look at your position on the bike and help you fine tune your fit.

That being said, a lot of folks that I see tend to have their bars set 2 to 3 inches lower than the top of their saddles.

Good luck!

Currently there is no general rule. Comfort setup will
push toward a more erect posture with the bar within
1-2" of saddle height. Performance and competition
cyclists will want a position with the bar 3 to 5" below
the seat. Since seat height is moveable over a very small range for a given frame size bar height is where
most of this adjustment will occur. That will depend on
the type of cyclist you are and evolve into. Your bar
is definitely rotated to far and should be moved counterclockwise if viewed from the R hand side of the
bike. You want the slant part just above the short end
part to be at an angle comfortable to grab when on the
drops so your wrists are at a natural angle and you
don't have to cock the hands up or down. Hoods might need to be moved after the bar is rotated. Hoods parallel to
the ground will give you a low position even with the bar rotated up a good bit. This may be ok for you or you may want to check the recent pix of LA for another point of view on hood placement (recent thread). Steve

when my my chubby little thighs start bouncing off my chubby tummy the bars are too low. might not work for you skinny guys..... :D

is that the way the bars are staying? the angle looks way off.

I have set the drop bars on my Rivendell Romulus higher than the seat. This results in an incredibly comfortable, yet still "competitive" ride. I don't race; I just ride at a brisk pace with friends. I use the lowers much more often than I used to because they're high enough now.

As for bar angle, I like the top part of the bar behind the brake hoods to be horizontal because that's where I rest my hands a lot. Racers may disagree because they have different priorities.

Bar height? The higher the better, in my opinion.

is that the way the bars are staying? the angle looks way off.

What's your suggestion or your comment about how to set it right- angle and height of the handlebar ?

I have set the drop bars on my Rivendell Romulus higher than the seat. This results in an incredibly comfortable, yet still "competitive" ride. I don't race; I just ride at a brisk pace with friends. I use the lowers much more often than I used to because they're high enough now.

As for bar angle, I like the top part of the bar behind the brake hoods to be horizontal because that's where I rest my hands a lot. Racers may disagree because they have different priorities.

Bar height? The higher the better, in my opinion.

Aren't you defeating the purpose of 'drops' while searching for comfort?

I always think you should be comfortable in the hoods, stretch out on the tops and aero in the drops. Happy medium.

ezryder03,
You MUST setup to where YOU feel comfortable, don't look at other bikes! Other bikes are not YOUR bike!

Flexibility, physical build and years on the bike add up to how low you can drop the bars. Otherwise, you could hurt yourself and permanently damage your spine, neck, etc. It's serious business, and the importance grows the more time you spend in the saddle.

Bike makers are addressing the issue. Many are starting to come out with "comfort geometry" that have taller headtubes and shorter top tubes. You are not alone when it comes to this kind of issue.

There is nothing wrong with your setup as long as you are comfortable. I do recommend you have the handlebar ends point slightly downward. That is how the bars are designed to be used and it affects your grip all the up the drops and where your levers are placed.

Once you get your saddle to the right height, you can lower the stem by putting a spacer on top of the stem and tightening. that way you can test out how it feels.

Good luck!

The rule of thumb I have heard is to set the handlebars at the same height as the seat (this was in the days when you had head sets that could raise or lower handlebars) and then slowly work down. At the beginning of the season, I was about at saddle height and I lowered it during the season to about 2" below.

I have read that many people now have handlebars so low that they really can not ride in the drops effectively. Their hoods are serving as their drops. Having a handlebar that low can impress people, but it isn't doing one any good. You really should to be able to use both the drops and the hoods comfortably.

Do what you like but keep in mind that a higher handlebar is more comfortable. If you unbolt your stem and flip it over that should give you about 3 cm.

is that the way the bars are staying? the angle looks way off.

That's what I said.

Height is different for each person tho.

I have set the drop bars on my Rivendell Romulus higher than the seat. This results in an incredibly comfortable, yet still "competitive" ride.... I use the lowers much more often than I used to because they're high enough now.....

Bar height? The higher the better, in my opinion.


Me too. I have similar feelings about bar height. The top is 0-2 cm above the saddle, depending on the bike, so the drops are about 14 cm below it.

And no, it doesn't defeat the purpose of the drops. Drop bars have been created for two reasons:

1. on large racing frames found 30 + years ago, they allowed a lower hand position than would have been possible otherwise;

2. on long rides, they allow more hand positions, hence more comfort and less numbness.

My normal position is on the drops, which gives me a wider, more stable position, both in windy situations and when hitting potholes. And if I want to relax or if there is a strong tailwind, then I ride on the tops.

Regards,

I second what Pat said (bars set so low that hoods are serving as drops).

But to answer Croak's question (aren't I defeating the purpose of drops by setting them so high): no, not really. On my bike, they still feel low--not LOW low, of course--but low enough to get out of the wind. I find myself riding them a lot. They are about even with my top tube. And since I have bar-end shifters, shifting while in the drops becomes very easy.

Keep in mind that I'm 55-years-old, so I am less tolerant of low bars than I used to be.

See www.rivbike.com for a discussion of bar height. Click on "The Bikes." Then click on "Choosing a Frame Size."

Condor

PS: Beautiful bike, by the way, ezryder. What model Trek is it exactly?

not the height but the horizontal piece of the bar, the drop i guess looks too angled. it may be the picture angle.

I see in the photo that your bars are rotated too far forward. Try rotating them back until the ends point (approximately) at your rear brake caliper.

And since you haven't taped the bar yet, another thing that will increase comfort is to slide your shifters higher on the bar (about an inch up the curve).

level with the ground is a good start point.

The std advice for angle is that the ends of the drops should be pointing down at about 10 degrees, approx towards the back axle. That will stop your hands sliding forward on various parts of the bar.
I also like to cant my brake levers in a fraction for a more neutral hand position on the drops.

it is a balance between comfort, flexibilty and aerodynamics and depends somewhat on what type of riding you are doing.

I find for me, and I do long distance riding (4 to 6 hours), that comfort allows me to ride further, faster than great aerodynamis. I have my bars about 1 cm below my saddle and can ride in the drops all day if need be. In other words, I can get aero but still be comfortable.

As to the bike you posted. I had a 5500 and can tell you that Trek's geometry is (for most riders) conducive to either large drops, many spacers, riser stems or some combination thereof, compared to other geometries. Treks, seattubes are approx. 4 cm shorter than their TT when measured center to center. This means that, compared to a regular "Square" (56 X 56) frame, a Trek frame will have 4 cm of additional drop or spacers or spacers and rise etc, to get the bars into the same position. Just a thought.

Len

PS: Beautiful bike, by the way, ezryder. What model Trek is it exactly?

It's a trek 5500 frame that i am building with campy record parts. Just want to change the way a trek bike looks. I was almost done with the bike 2 nights ago until i mess up putting the 10s chain. It was my first time to set up the newer campy parts. I'm trying to go back to cycling after 15 years of absence and what a difference the way parts are assembled and installed. Had to buy me a new chain and should be here today or friday.

I see in the photo that your bars are rotated too far forward. Try rotating them back until the ends point (approximately) at your rear brake caliper.

He can't do that, there is no rear brake caliper :D .
I think what everyone is trying to say is that with the ends of the bars
angled up they place undo stress on the wrists.
As an older, less flexible person I too vote towards the Rivendell, old school
idea of the top of the bars being either even with or an 5 to 10 cm below the
top of saddle.

Marty

i read somewhere something like if you can bend over and reach your toes the bar should be lower or if you can reach your toes that it should be a tiny bit higher.

oh, and it is a very nice bike besides. what model wheel are those?

Here is the beauty of a really tall quill stem (like the Nitto Technomic Deluxe). This has worked well for me...

Start with the stem raised all the way up to the safety mark. Ride the bike and stay in the drops for the entire ride. Then lower the stem a little and ride again, staying in the drops just as before. Keep repeating this process, lowering the handlebar a little each time, until riding in the drops becomes uncomfortable. Then raise the bar just a little. That is your sweet spot- where you can be comfortable with your hands anywhere on the bar.

For me, the top of the brake hoods need to be level with the saddle.

Also keep this in mind- the longer your rides tend to be, the higher the bar will have to be so that you can be comfortable in the drops. Someone who only rides 10 miles at a time can have a much lower handlebar than someone who rides 600 kilometer brevets.

Go to any of the bike fitting sites and they will say that a racer will set it up different from just a rider.Racers are not looking to be comfy.Seat and handlebars within an inch of each other in height.Cycletourist has them listed at the end of his threads,read them.

oh, and it is a very nice bike besides. what model wheel are those?

It's a velocity spartacus pro wheelset but made last minute changes to the bike and change the wheelset. Thanks to those who joined the discussion and sharing their inputs about the topic. Your participation was of great help to me. Finally my new babe is born and here's the picture of the complete bike. I'm sure there will be some minor adjustments as i go along riding the bike.

It´s all bulls**T really , there are no rules except one .
1 ) it´s got to be comfortable for you .
To low , as is the fashion , is real bad for your back . Look at fotos of Merckx , Indurain ; do they have low bars ? do they use the drops a lot , even when climbing ?
Have the drops low enough to be usable alot of the time , and then wriggle the bar so it´s comfy in as many different positions as possible .