True that. I've worked on my fit for some time and it's pretty good now from my perspective. I've paid for fittings from qualified fitters before, but their advice has never been complete. For me it's been a combination of personal experiment/adjustment along with fitter advice.

However, my focus on this thread is very specific -- I want to know if there is any basis for this particular rule (regardless whether it's universal or just a guide). Because, it seems to me, top tube size should have no influence on the position of your upper arm (shoulder to elbow segment) with respect ot the fork. Rather, it seems your hand position is the only variable affecting that. Because if I were to shorten my top tube 10 inches, but my bars and stem are the same length, it seems like upper arm wlil be same distance from fork (which is co-axial with the head tube).

Is this true?