Q: “How far should my handlebar be above or below my saddle?”

A: “That depends.”

Old-fashioned bike setup systems go something like:

1. Position the saddle relative to the bottom bracket.

2. Position the handlebar relative to the saddle.

How many of you remember this gem? There is no causal relationship between your saddle, elbow, fingers and handlebar.

While the old approach can create usable riding positions, it does little to aid shred, at least not in a logical way.

Around here we do something like:

1. Position the saddle relative to the bottom bracket. See that section later in this book. 

2. Position the handlebars relative to the bottom bracket. See those sections earlier in this book. 

Saddle position and handlebar position should be independent adjustments!

But people still want to know: How high should my bars be relative to my saddle?