Well what works for you is what's important. Did the "saddle back" strategy have any negative consequences for your power stroke (i.e., - knees over pedal spindles)? That's what is usually being adjusted by the fore/aft position in the "traditional" fitting.
Thanks for sharing your experiences - another data point is always welcome.
Originally Posted by FarHorizon
I tried both shorter stem & higher bars without significantly lessening the pressure on my wrists. The angle of wrist to bar changed, but not the amount of weight supported by the arms.
What worked for me was moving the seat back. Once my body was balanced on the seat, the pressure on my wrists was so light that I could make significant movements of the bar height and reach without any ergonomic problems.
The fore/aft seat movement needed to balance my body vs having excessive pressure on my arms was about one inch! With a "no setback" seat post, I had too much pressure on my arms regardless of bar orientation. Once I got an inch to an inch and a quarter of seat aft movement, my body "balanced" on the seat, and I could ride with my hands a half inch above the bars without much effort except for lightly flexing my lower back muscles.
I can't say that what worked for me (and with my frame) will work for you, but if weight on the bars (as opposed to wrist angle on the bars) is your major problem, consider my experience. Best of luck with your adjustments!