Originally Posted by
Duane Behrens
A blanket statement like "You can't use saddle position to set reach" is not only inappropriate - it's incorrect. Saddle position DOES affect reach to the bars, unavoidably, and every time you change it. Drew, if you were correct in your assertion that we CAN'T use seating position to affect reach, we'd all be living with fused, non-adjustable saddles.
This needs a little clarification. What they said is true but to elaborate the saddle position (height, setback) is the first thing to setup for a rider and everything else gets measured around this. You don't compensate reach by moving the saddle. In your friends case it sounds like she had to move the saddle from where it was when purchased to fit her better but it should remain in that comfortable position when fitting new bars and stem. Also using your wife's measurements can certainly help get close, or possibly even perfect, but everybody has a different posture on a bike despite having the same measurements and may need to tweek the fitting a bit.