I posted some recent things here about my Brooks B17 vs. Selle Anatomica. I bought the latter since it was on sale and I like it. But at about the same time, I bought a new stem that is angled about 1.5 to 2 in higher, effectively bringing the handlebar even with, maybe even a bit higher, than the saddle. HUGE difference, less perineal pressure, more comfort on long rides. I read plenty of posts suggesting that the handlebar and saddle height for a Brooks should be roughly the same, and I should have followed that guide much sooner. I've ridden with much more comfort over the last two or three weeks on both saddles.

How long before Grant Peterson is mentioned in this thread. Opps, I just did it. Sorry for that I could not resist. PErsonallu, I run my HB 1 to 2 inches lower tan my B-17 IT quite comfortable.

Interesting that raising your bars, which puts more weight on the saddle, has increased your comfort. Makes me think that maybe your saddle is angled up a touch, making it necessary for you to be upright to get your sit bones to align with the saddle. In my experience, that's a real key. But I take the opposite approach: I have a relatively massive saddle-to-bar drop, and spend much of my riding time in the drops. As a result of a fitting, I just switched to a harder and wider saddle to increase my stability and provide a more rotated pelvis, which straightened my back, opened up my breathing, and gave me a lower position in the drops.

Brooks recommends that the wider saddles, like the B17, are intended for a more upright fit and should have the handlebar equal with the saddle or higher.

However, a wider saddle can work with a lower handlebar level if the cyclist is large enough to have widely spaced sit bones.