Road Cycling - Should handlebar be lower or higher than seat?

I ride an mtb with a y type handlebar (mainly on roads). Right now the handlebar is slightly higher than the seat. Should it be lower?

Also are flat handlebars better than y type? (Can't install bar ends on my y's?)

:)

I ride an mtb with a y type handlebar (mainly on roads). Right now the handlebar is slightly higher than the seat. Should it be lower?

Also are flat handlebars better than y type? (Can't install bar ends on my y's?)

:)

ok.. generally if i understand it correctly.. if ur handle bar is higher than ur seat it gives you an more upright, comfortable riding position.. much like the bmx bikes we ride as kids. now if the handle bars is lower than the seat it give you a more aggressive riding position and also give you more aero.

IT depends on your level of comfort and the flexibility you have. When I first started riding, I had the handlebars slightly higher than the seat. Slowly, over time, and especially as my flexibility increased from taking stretching and yoga classes, I lowered my handlebars. Currently, my handlebars are about a little more than 2 inches higher than the saddle, and I'm considering raising them a little more once I'm feeling a bit more comfortable on my new bike. I don't really think about being more aero, although having the handlebars lower helps, I just feel a lot more comfortable with my handlebars lower. My bike actually feels really good when I ride like that, and when I ride on other bikes where the handlebars are higher, it does make my back hurt.

Koffee

As the other posters have mentioned, having the handlebars higher puts you in a more upright position. This means that more of your weight is distributed directly down your spine and back as opposed to being spread out across the bike via your arms and having your upper body suspended from your torso. While this may be comfortable at first, in a long ride, you may encounter lower back pain. Also, as mentioned, generally speaking, as riders become more experienced, they will prefer a lower position.

I am curious as to why you think you can't install barends on your current handlebars. And what do you mean by "Y-type". Is it because you don't have enough room to move all the handlebar furniture inwards to accomodate the barend clamps?

I ride an mtb with a y type handlebar (mainly on roads). Right now the handlebar is slightly higher than the seat. Should it be lower?

Also are flat handlebars better than y type? (Can't install bar ends on my y's?)

:)

I think on a MTB the handlebars are usually above the seat, due to the frame geometry.

I think on a MTB the handlebars are usually above the seat, due to the frame geometry.

Well, that depends on the type of riding you do. In the past and in my experience as a XC rider, most of those bikes are set up with the bars lower than the saddle. Of course everyone's different and I do see the newer style of MTBing (in almost all disciplines except XC) to favour a more upright position with handlebars level or higher than the saddle. I have my bars about an inch lower than my saddle.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/1999-k2-ozm/PICT0001.jpg

You are going to get numerous answers to this one I am sure, everyone hass different opinions on this issue, and bikes have changed over the years , alot of us stick with what we started with, and some change with the times.
I remember my first fitting and the guy at the LBS told me the handle bars should be apx 1" lower then the saddle when he was making the adjustments to my bike and fitting me.
But mind you, that was a long time ago, when you stradled the top post and should have apx 1" between the top postt and your crotch.
Now a days the bikes are smaller, I have had many bikes since that first fitting and I still ride the same size bike (not a smaller one) and have 1" between my crotch and the top post, I still ride with my bars 1" lower than my saddle because thats how my first fitting was and I guess its what I have grown accustomed to. Best bet would be to have yourself fitted, its only around $40 and worth it, you can adjust what you may need to, to make it comfortable for you.
good luck and ride safe...

I ride an mtb with a y type handlebar (mainly on roads). Right now the handlebar is slightly higher than the seat. Should it be lower?:)

Well, CAN it be lowered? The reason I pose this question is if it cannot be lowered, perhaps your frame is most likely too large for you. As long as your seat height is correct, handlebar height in relation to your seat is a personal choice and mostly depends on the type of riding you do.

As far as installing bar ends on non-straight bars.....????!! Go to the mountain bike forum for that. I know what most will tell you....

As far as installing bar ends on non-straight bars.....????!! Go to the mountain bike forum for that. I know what most will tell you....

But one has to also keep in mind that just because one might incur the wrath of the fashion police doesn't mean one should not do what's most comfortable for oneself. :)

I think on a MTB the handlebars are usually above the seat, due to the frame geometry.

I have my bars 5 inches below the seat on my MTB. It looks weird but it works. Granted it is a urban fixie, but I have my c-dale set the same so I've forgotten where this is going.

Anyway I have a long body and short legs so I flipped the stem for zero rise. For me it takes the presure off my lower back and other sensetive areas. I did have to ride around for a while to get the right seat angle as well to make it all okay. Never used a riser bar, so no input there, but have always used barends on my bikes.

Well, CAN it be lowered?

Yes it can. When I first bought it, I actually raised it now i'm starting to dislike this upright position.


As far as installing bar ends on non-straight bars.....????!! Go to the mountain bike forum for that. I know what most will tell you....

I'll head on over there now :)

My OCR3 when I first purchased is aobut 1 inch higher than the seat, but I didn't like it so I asked to change the sterm, they put a biachi which is much lower. I got very uncomfortable the first few days but I get used to it now. Still interest to hear others' opinion about this though.

As far as installing bar ends on non-straight bars.....????!! Go to the mountain bike forum for that. I know what most will tell you....

He posted there, it could get ugly.

when i asked a question about fit someone posted this link :

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

It really helped me loads, thanks to whoever it was that posted it. But as it says in there it's about compromises, if you want maximum aerodynamics your gonna have to sacrifice some comfort, and for comfort sacrifice aerodynamics.

Hope it helps.

I believe the first thing to check before setting handlebar height would be to stand up straight in street clothes and tip your head forward and see if you can see your belt buckle. If you can't, your handlebar should be above your seat. :p :p :p

IT depends on your level of comfort and the flexibility you have. When I first started riding, I had the handlebars slightly higher than the seat. Slowly, over time, and especially as my flexibility increased from taking stretching and yoga classes, I lowered my handlebars. Currently, my handlebars are about a little more than 2 inches higher than the saddle, and I'm considering raising them a little more once I'm feeling a bit more comfortable on my new bike. I don't really think about being more aero, although having the handlebars lower helps, I just feel a lot more comfortable with my handlebars lower. My bike actually feels really good when I ride like that, and when I ride on other bikes where the handlebars are higher, it does make my back hurt.

Koffee

That's what I did. However, if I am touring, I will raise my handlebars a bit.

im 20, athletic and flexible, but i like my saddle & bar level... its a helluva lot more comfortable.

[QUOTE=operator]I ride an mtb with a y type handlebar (mainly on roads). Right now the handlebar is slightly higher than the seat. Should it be lower?

Also are flat handlebars better than y type? (Can't install bar ends on my y's?)

Hi : Need advice using KALI ATB HT100 handlebars with an Emmelle Trojan
Unfotunately the handlebarse are too low for me. Need to raise them approx 3-4 inches. It would appear that this setup has no allowance for adjustment.
Anyone advise what to do

regards
:eek: :eek:

Hi : Need advice using KALI ATB HT100 handlebars with an Emmelle Trojan
Unfotunately the handlebarse are too low for me. Need to raise them approx 3-4 inches. It would appear that this setup has no allowance for adjustment.
Anyone advise what to do

regards
:eek: :eek:

I did a search for "KALI ATB HT100" as well as "Emmelle Trojan" and came up with nothing useful. Could you post a picture of your handlebar setup including the stem and headset?

Umm, with a horizontal level toptube IMO the seat should be higher, and a position similar to road racing adopted.

Incline frames are often for more agressive riding\ jumping. this requires the seat to be level or lower. (hard to pull up your wheel in areo position.)

But consider, the range of hight is under the guide of moving the saddle on the rails to keep the correct position to the bb.

Moving the post up and down changes the foreward position of the seat. Needs correcting.

Old school mtb racers mostly had the seat higher, most DH riders the seats lower.

I alter mine to terrain, road it's up, jumping, offroad- level or lower. Just takes a min.

>jef.


Riser or Dh bars are just that. Riser DH bars. Use them if you like, nobody puts ends on them, ends are for areo position and risers make you more upright. Defeats the purpose IMO.
Nice to have a hand position change I guess.

Hi

Hope the fotos Help

I did a search for "KALI ATB HT100" as well as "Emmelle Trojan" and came up with nothing useful. Could you post a picture of your handlebar setup including the stem and headset?


Hi hope fotos help

Nice thread hijack there dude...

Too many answers all correct! Yes it's personal choice, a compromise between comfort and performance. How low can you go though, before other problems fatigue etc. happen?

Depends on 3 factors, low back strength, arm strength, and hamstring flexibility. The more you have of these, the lower your bars can be. That usually means the grips or brake hoods are 1 to 4 inches below the saddle.A good place to start is a position where your back is at 45 degrees. Remember that the length of the stem also will make a difference in how upright you sit on the bike.

Jeff Williams seems to suggesting raising or lowering the seat to get it below or higher than the bars as needed and then correcting by sliding the seat fore/aft on rails to stay right distance from bb.

The saddle height is more important, less a personal choice. Make sure your saddle is in the right place first, then get the stem/hbar combo needed to put you in the position you prefer. Too low saddle is dangerous to knees. I believe a forward position on the rails is also more knee-friendly.

Jeff Williams seems to suggesting raising or lowering the seat to get it below or higher than the bars as needed and then correcting by sliding the seat fore/aft on rails to stay right distance from bb.

The saddle height is more important, less a personal choice. Make sure your saddle is in the right place first, then get the stem/hbar combo needed to put you in the position you prefer. Too low saddle is dangerous to knees. I believe a forward position on the rails is also more knee-friendly.

Not sure what I mean....I'm perhaps wrong, but the rails, the seat movement along them is to keep the correct placement of the knee\ leg over the bb for max stroke and use of all muscles.
If you raise the seat, the seat moves back because the seat tube is angled back. If raising the seat, you also slide the seat foreward to be inline with the bb. ( front of seat sould be inline vertically with the centre of the bb.

Or I'm wrong...???

>jef.