Hello everyone I am new to this forum and looking forward to sharing information with like minded people.

I mainly cycle crosscountry in the south east of england and also visit wales around four times a year.

The probem I have is that im 6’5″ and my saddle sits about 2″ higher than my handlebars. To correct this im thinking of buying down hill bars with 2″ rise and also I need the xtra width so need 28″.

Can anyone recomend a good light set that dont weight loads and are not a stupid price. Ive been looking at Deity bars

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11383

but they weight 298 grams also been looking at monkeylite carbon but they are over £100 and weight 225 grams.

Please help.

Why do you want your bars at the same height as your saddle?

You’re already going to be way back over the rear wheel, and lifting the bars will put even less weight on the front end.

back ache?

or a stem with more rise and regular riser bars

Im not getting back ache but feel front is a little too low and with a 2″ riser will lift it up around an extra inch than it is with the low riser i have now plus i need the extra width.

Pretty sure that the bars on my bike are more than 2″ lower than the saddle. – I’m 5’11”. Taller guys usually have them even lower as taller usually means longer arms.

Why do you want your bars at the same height as your saddle?

Maybe they feel more comfortable with their saddle and bars the same height?

Not everyone likes their bike set up the same way as others…

300g isn’t that heavy for a set of high rise bars. How much do your current bars weigh? Don’t get hung up on weight, it’s not going to make that much difference to you ride as long as it doesn’t get excessive.

HAving said that I also wouldn’t worry about your bars being 2″ lower than your saddle, it seems fairly normal to me, afterall your arms are longer than your torso.

I’m six foot four. I sort of know what you mean about bar height, although mine feel alot lower than 2 inches below my saddle

My gut feeling is try a taller/ steeper stem. Work on bar height and bar height as seperate issues

I’ve also worked on the basis that big people shouldn’t by lite stuff

Thanks for all you replies. Perhaps I will investigate the stem option. Looking though magazines most of their bikes are set up with the seat and bars about the same height if not the saddle a shade higher. Surly the longer arms sugestion doesnt work as im still proportion just as the bike should be!?

And ampthill and jonb you have a good points about weight and strong conponents.

<http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=15881&gt;

Nice and cheap and just what your after 😉

Cheers dude but I need them in 25.4

No worries !

Looking though magazines most of their bikes are set up with the seat and bars about the same height if not the saddle a shade higher. Surly the longer arms sugestion doesnt work as im still proportion just as the bike should be!?

We could almost do with a bike fit for tall people thread. Basically in my experience as people get taller, bars drop relative to saddle. Also as pointed out you get further back as you get taller, also top tubes don’t get much longer as you get taller….

I wasn’t joking about the stretching

I am about 5’10” and all of my bikes have the handlebars a couple of inches lower than the saddle (I have a long leg length for my height). I would not be worried about getting the handlebar/seat balance, I would be concentrating on getting the bike at a height that feels about right for the handling characteristics of your bike. You can probably beg or borrow some higher rise stems in different lengths out of the lbs bin for test riding. Try it at different heights and lengths before deciding.

Oh, and wide bars are good, even on an XC rig. Soo much more control and lateral balance!! I am running my bars at about 750mm and loving it. My previous bars were at 660mm and the difference in control on techy stuff is incredible!

2nd the idea of going for an angled stem to bring the bars up especially if you are running a longish stem

Sometimes my bars are below my saddle, sometimes above.

It depends where my saddle is.

And also whether I’m going up or downhill.

I cannot understand how you can handle a mountainbike in technical (either up or down) terrain with the bars even approaching the same height as the saddle (when the saddle is at XC height), let alone at the same height or higher.

On my “child seat tag along bike” things are different. A nice high bar. But it’s a mincer.

300g is not really heavy for a riser bar of that width. Unless you are at the limits of trying to reduce bike weight I wouldn’t consider that a good buy.

As to position, personally I ride with my bars (normal riding position) well below the saddle height. However everyone’s different and if you feel you’d like the bars higher it can’t hurt to try. Be aware though it will set your weight further back which could have an adverse effect on handling, especially while climbing.

Its been really interesting to here all your opinions as with most of the people I ride with who are shorter than me either have their bars level with the saddle or a touch lower.

Perhaps ive been the one whos set their bike up right!!! As I need wider bars I just thought why not raise them at the same time as ive never expirienced them being level because ive always been lanky.

sunline V1 19mm or 38mm rise 745mm width…light, strong, well finished if more height gain required…combine with hope or easton stem (both offer 20deg + options)

brant what works for you may not work for others. Fwiw my bars and saddle are around the same height and it works for me. Not difficult with 150mm forks and 34″ IL

Do what you think will work FOR YOU.

Cheers again but these are only available in 31.8 clamp size only. And I dont really want to replace both stem and bars if i can help it.