Interesting thread here. I was of the old way, too, and "hands on the bars, looking down the hub is obscured" . So I decided to measure from the set bone impression on the seat to the center of the handlebars on l my bikes, and guess what, the measurements were identical.

My Concorde is custom measured and fitted, and I've used that bike to bike myself to the others. Only one bike, does my finger tips touch the handlebar. KB