handlebar vs saddle height
 

I've read numerous threads on this board about handlebar height and made a lot of adjustments on my bike. Granted my handlebars are just about level with my saddle now and it feels pretty comfortable, but I am wondering how people can ride the street with stuff like this :

http://www.fixiefiend.com/wp-content...ear-bike-1.jpg

I mean are these people just riding for a few blocks to the pub then back? I've tried different stem lengths but every time my handlebars are that low my wrists/shoulders start feeling it. someone help shed some light on this. I do like the aesthetics of the low handlebar but I haven't found it to jive with my comfort esp. since I ride a few miles at a time.

fashion over function.

that said, everyone is built differently and some people can handle it better than others. you are correct, in essence, that someone who rides a bike with that sort of set-up probably doesn't make any lengthy trips on it.

Sore wrists may mean your seat isn't far enough back for your body weight to be properly distributed over the pedals (about 40% front/60% back). This is especially likely if you have long upper legs and/or the frame has a steep seat tube angle. If the seat is already as far back as it can go, you'd need a set back seatpost (available up to about 3cm) or a larger frame.

Sheldon Brown explains this here under 'Saddle Front/Back Positioning':

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html

Wow, I really want that MASH SF Cinelli bike...so sexy

On my bike with the original fork, a stem with a little drop, and true track bars, you wind up with your hands about level with the top of the front tire. Currently, it's like this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/...37d18ee81c.jpg

Not a ton of drop, but enough. With drop bars on it, the low position is pretty low. I don't find it uncomfortable at all, just rather impractical for city riding. Getting really low on a bike you're riding on the street is a good way to be less aware of what's going on around you.

Not enough seat tilt often plays a role in wrist/shoulder discomfort.

your arms shouldn't really be supporting your body weight.

as such, lots of saddle-bar drop is a function of flexibility. it's not also meant to be used for a large distance obviously. everyone is different though, i find level to not be very comfortable, feels too upright.

From my personal experience I think saddle-bar drop is also affected by age. When I was younger I had the drop low to get great aero position. This was comfortable even for long distance riding.

As you get older you loose flexibility. My drop seems to get less as I get older. It is just more comfortable. I am still a little below level with road bars.

This also affected my frame size. I used to ride 59-60cm frames with ~140mm stems. Now I ride 61-62 cm frames with ~100 mm stems. I also have a lot less seat post showing.

I do love the look of the huge drop difference. The old TT/pursuit bikes with the 24" front wheels are the best!

This is mostly true, I think, but it should be mentioned that seat fore/aft position should be used to position the body relative to the bottom bracket (which is what andmalc is talking about here, I believe) and not to adjust reach to the handlebar (which also effects weight distribution and causes sort hands and wrists). A shorter stem may also be in order.


As far as handlebar vs. seat height, it's largely a matter of personal preference. I may not be the best person to ask, as you can see from my stem below (which is nearly level with my seat):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/...2c00baeb_m.jpg

http://velospace.org/node/22636 was my set up before i got a stem with a higher rise. No matter what bars i used, drop, bullhorn, riser, it would all be uncomfortable for the wrists.

i did try fiddling with different stem lengths, the saddle height, forward/back, and a different seatpost with 0 set back as i have shorter legs than torso, but nothing helped. i guess i'm stuck with level for the time being

thanks for all your replies

Yes, that is what I was getting at: stem length adjusts for torso length, saddle position adjusts for upper leg length relative to bottom bracket.

Take a look at the Sheldon Brown page I linked to to see how saddle fore/aft position affects weight distribution which affects wrist comfort. Peter White says about the same thing here

Sorry to the OP that we couldn't solve your problem.

Some time back someone posted a photo of a cyclocross bike that had an insane saddle-to-bar drop.
Then they posted a photo of the rider on the bike, and his position looked perfectly normal.
The guy just had *really* long arms.
One size does not fit all.

that's some expensive parts you've got thrown on there. mostly that front wheel.

Most track races are over in a matter of minutes.

If you watch road cycling races, you'll notice the riders spend 90% of the time on the tops or the hoods.

In city riding, it's dangerous to ride in an aggressive aero position. You can't see traffic all around you as well as in a more upright position. That position is for going fast in a straight line and with no cars or pedestrians coming out on the course to get in your way.

i'll admit that on my first pista, I wanted to position everything so it looked hella TRACK and aggressive but after awhile it really hurt my hands and wrists bc so much weight is brought to the front. No matter how much I adjusted things for comfort, using drops on the streets did not feel right to me. May be I didn't adjust it enough with new stem lengths/heights and etc but I've since then sold the pista and got a kilo that came with RB018s. The seat is 3" above the bars and it feels so comfy to ride. No craning my neck up from an aero position! That's what I hated the most about drops; not good for my neck (or the drop was too aggressive).

Anyway I've wised up and I don't need my bike to look tracky anymore. I'm no track rider.

schwing!

I've got a lot of saddle to bar drop, and I can and do ride comfortably for about 60 miles. Beyond that I start to notice my shoulders and neck and sometimes hands getting a little tired. It sure wouldn't be comfortable to be in an aggressive aero position if I was only going to be riding slow all the time, but it feels pretty good at speed.