avidone1

Is there a "rule of thumb" on how high the saddle should be in relation to handlebars for the most efficient handling?
I've heard that the best position is for the hands to be a couple of inches below the saddle, but I was wondering
what y'all think about this ?

DMC707

depends on the bike and the usage -- saddle height on my old hardtail 26'er is a good 4" above the bars, saddle height on my current full suspension bikes is pretty close to level

An older 4-Cross bike i have around as a "buddy bike" typically runs the saddle 2" over the bars --- but when riding an actual 4X or slalom style track -- i lower the seat quite a bit

Lots of variables

Bradleykd

Depends on where you ride it.

Saddle height should be the same anywhere (except downhill where you will not be sitting and pedaling but standing for the entire ride, in that case you want it low and out of the way).

If you are primarily on the road, lower bars will help get you out of the wind a bit better.

If you are riding technical trails, lower bars will put you at a greater risk of going over them because more weight will be over the front wheel.

Bradleykd

I ride a hard tail 29er on pretty rough all-mountain style trails. I keep my bars about level, but maybe a little higher than the saddle. I also have a dropper post to get the saddle out of my way on rough or technical descents.

hig4s

not to through a wrench in the discussion, but from what I have been reading, height depends on how far forward the bars are. switching to a shorter stem can give better tight handling without raising the bars.