Originally Posted by
oldbobcat
The trend (not rule) to maintain balance is, the lower the handlebar, the farther back the saddle needs to go.
The higher the handlebar, the farther forward the saddle can come. Your center of gravity must be over the feet to keep from falling on your face or putting too much pressure on the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders.
That's why you see Trek 7000 comfort bikes with very steep seat tubes, very short top tubes, and a very high handlebar. You're riding practically standing up.
And triathlon/time trial bikes are a different animal.
To see a video of a guy who his this thing wired in a moderate position that can be a model for any reasonably fit road cyclist, follow this link:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...y-fit-position
Really well said. As the bar drops, the torso tilts which elongates the body and the body has to move back relative to the BB centerline. This is why it is hard to convert an old English 3 speed to a drop bar bike...the top tube is too short. Also this is why for example the Look 566 comfort geometry has a more upright seat tube angle like you say.