On my 4inch xc bike I seam to have the handle bars atleast 2inches higher than my saddle (sag accounted for). Any lower I cant turn. I’ve also got quite a decent middle aged belly. Surely, there has got to be some correlation.

Inflexibility might have a role at least. What angle is your saddle, the further forward will help to reach the handlebars, as well as perhaps shifting your saddle forward etc ..

Is your saddle at a ‘proper’ height when pedalling (very almost straight leg at bottom of pedal stroke)?

Bars higher than saddle (At proper pedalling height) is most likely wrong though

I’m fat and my bars are always about an inch or so under the seat.

I have noticed this trend with a lot of the Brits when I’m guiding for Switchbacks.

One bloke had about four thick spacers under his stem! They ‘like it that way’ apparently.

Perhaps leg lenth has been overlooked?

I ride medium frame but while standing over the bike, the clearance under my doobrey’s is like an inch or so, and not the 2 or 3 inches? recommended.

My saddle at ‘proper riding height’ is pretty much about level with the bars, or maybe just a touch higher.
A lot of the XC race whippet guys I see with their saddles ‘sky high’ usually look like they are also on a medium or large frame but have long gangly legs instead of my short stumpy ones.

NONONONONO! not higher, THICKER! 😉

Im fat, and my saddle is higher than my bars on all my bikes…

Saddle is always higherb than my bars, except when dropped for steep downs.

purely a matter of taste and fashion. I have my bars a bit higher than the seat – improves comfort dramatically as it keeps my back in a better shape

Nah, I’m much fatter now than I was 10 years ago but my bars are still at the same height 😉

(about 1-2″ below the saddle once the fork is sagged – much higher than that feels horrible to me – finding it a problem getting the bars on my 29er low enough)

My handlebars are 2-3 inches below my saddle and I am pretty fat. A bit higher would probably aid descending, a bit lower would probably aid climbing, its a compromise based on what is right for most of the riding I do.

Saddle is always a bit higher (2-3″) than the bars on my road bike and mtb. Before loosing a fair chunk of weight saddle height on a road bike was a bit of a problem as with being stretched out and on the drops I was kicking myself in the gut 😉 Now it’s not a problem.

My gf’s brother is a racing snake xc type bean pole with long legs and his saddle is much higher then the bars (around 4-5″) but that’s how most of his mates set up their bikes as well.

purely a matter of taste and fashion. I have my bars a bit higher than the seat – improves comfort dramatically as it keeps my back in a better shape

I agree with TJ – mine are either level or bars slightly higher – its comfier, easier on my back + I feel more in control on the downs. For a prolonged uphill slog I just drop my forks an inch (obviously I try to avoid these where possible).

I just set mine up so the bike was comfy. Probably level or slightly lower on my mtb.

It makes you feel more stable if your bars are higher, especially descending down steep stuff. It also depends on the length of the forks and geometry of the bike. Long travel hardtails are more easy rider position where as proper xc bikes are similar to the road bike positioning.

my saddle is lower than my bars just about :)

mine are level…………and i do not consider myself fat now 😉

A bit chubby, but fairly agile and flexible.
I use to have my ‘bars lower than my seat, but now have them higher which has made a big improvement to the old pins & needles in the hands problem.

I wonder if it’s more to do with flexibility than weight ?

People with high bars, can you touch your toes ?

The more you fatties lean forward, the more your gut pulls down against your back, the more uncomfortable the ride is. Simple.

It’s pride, if I raised my bars I’d have to admit I’m getting older and fatter.

My saddle is higher than my bars on all of my bikes, and I’m not a small guy. In fact a mate has been critical of my bars as being too low for him, and he’s a bit of a skinny git.

I’d have thought lowish bar would be more comfortable in the long term. Takes the weight off your back and on to your arms.

Never really thought about it, bar height is set (with seat down out of the way) so I can weight/unweight/lift the front wheel as desired (xc mainly head down but a little liftpossible, play bikes v.easy to lift) then saddle set to correct height. Pretty sure all my bikes have handlebar atleast a couple of inches lower then saddle. (not very fat)

Ok I’m probably a good 8kg over weight and mid 30’s so most of the fat has migrated to the front. I can touch my toes without too much of a problem so I don’t think flexibility is a issue – (though I do notice my belly getting in the way). And I’m in proportion ie short legs, short arms, short torso. But when I have my bars level or lower than my saddle (saddle set using the usual the heal on the pedal /slight bend in the leg theory ) I find when I try to turn on the flat twisty singletrack I can’t get enough weight on the front wheel and just end up washing out. Pop a couple of spacers underneath the stem and it all good again. My testing involved grabbing a bunch of stems (60 – 105mm) and spacers and riding the same length of track 15+ times in a single session.
Hmm.

scu98rkr

Its about maintaining the correct curves in your back not about weight distribution.

I have my bars about the same height as my saddle.. I prefer the look of lower bars.. but I’m pretty sure it’s a race orientated set up to have them lower (as well as a climbing aid)..

Although I’m pretty average verging on slim for my height.. my back isn’t A1 and I generally ride for about 5 hours at a time.. being in an aggressive racing attack mode for 5 hours+ is very wearing so I’ll settle for a more upright position at the cost of looking a bit of a duffer..

The downside of this is a light and wandering front end on steep ascents that I probably wouldn’t be able to lean into and counter if I was carrying a keg round my middle..

Another exception here, definate love handles and my bars are run with the stem flipped and no spacers usualy!

Made an exception for Switchbacks though, increaced the fork height by about 2″ (still no spacers) !

I realised I was getting fat the other day when I could feel my gut against my legs on the climbs. I have my bars a fair way below my saddle, as people have occasionally commented. Maybe this is the time to change.

Don’t know about high bars, but one thing I have noticed about my larger bellied mates is that their knees tend to stick out a lot more when peddaling in the saddle to make way for the belly. Is that a side effect of bars being too low perhaps?

This is the bike Lance Armstrong rode in the leadville 100 2009. Bars below the saddle, but not as low as some of the obsessives. This is how he set out to break the record for a 100 mile mountainous course. I would suspect that he is far more adapted to a low narrow bar aerodynamic position than most, but doesn’t seem to think its the most practical way to go.