lemondirgopie

So I've been playing with the angle of my handlebars on my Raleigh Ladies Sport and can't seem to get it quite right. The way I've had it made the bike seem ever so slightly cramped. When I angle it up it seems too high, and down too low. Do I want my back and arms straight like a proper English lady (it is a Raleigh after all), or will that make my arms sore from constantly being straight? Are there any general rules I should be following? And while I'm at it, are there general rules for handlebar height?

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for any help!

nwbikeman

The stem, part that holds the handlebar is adjustable up and down and if you loosen the stem bolt and take the stem out there is a minimum insert line that should not be raised above that mark. I usually prefer most of the way down but with a slight bend in my forearm. Then the angle of the bar is adjusted so that it puts a more even pressure to the palm of my hand. As for theb ars you might want a different bend, style or maybe cut the bars you have down a bit if to wide. But before you cut or swap the bars take a few rides and try different grip positions on your bars to try and find what feels best.

Amesja

Make sure you have your seat high enough. I think a lot of people ride around with too low of a seat. If you still feel like the bars are wrong after getting the seat correct then maybe you have the wrong sized frame or the upright position is not quite right for you. All is not lost -the bars can be flipped or changed out for lower mustache bars. The nice thing about the old Sports is that there is a lot you can do with them as far as adjustably. NWbikeman's advice about being able to move the stem up and down is sound. If you want it even higher there are higher/longer stems too.