[wallyh3]

I've got my new Madone set up to feel comfortable, but the top of the bar is 2.5-3 inches below the top of the saddle. Does this seem unusual or is it all just subjective? Thanks.

 

[botto]

How tall/flexible/old/etc are you?

need more info to give a meaningful answer

I've got my new Madone set up to feel comfortable, but the top of the bar is 2.5-3 inches below the top of the saddle. Does this seem unusual or is it all just subjective? Thanks.

 

[bikeboy389]

It's all down to what you like or your body can tolerate.

I'd say it's a reasonably "racy" position, but not extreme. There's a pretty big difference in feel between 2.5 and 3 inches, by the way.

The old rule of thumb used to be that your bars should be more or less level with your seat, so by that rule, even 2.5 inches of drop is a lot. These days, the popular custom seems to be running more toward race-inspired setups, which means more drop. By that measure, you're probably looking pretty average.

I rode for a while with 11 cm of drop (which is closer to 4.25 inches), and that WAS extreme for me (quite a few pros have extreme drop like this), and though I could ride quite a while like that I wasn't particularly comfortable.

Now, I'm more like 5 cm of drop (2 inches or so), which is more old-school I suppose, and I'm much much more comfortable (but feeling a lot more wind resistance against my now more-upright upper body, which is the main trade-off).

 

[wallyh3]

height, age and flexibillity

I'm 46, 6'1', long arms and pretty flexible. Thanks.

 

[Cory]

I couldn't ride that way, but if you can, why not?

That's not an extreme drop for a fit and flexible person. For reasons we don't need to go into here, though, I couldn't ride it... My bars are level with my saddle, and they're staying there.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Whatever works

I'm 46, 6'1', long arms and pretty flexible.

I'm more than an inch shorter than you and my saddle-to-bar drop is 3.5 inches. Whatever works is just fine. There is no right or wrong.

 

[JimP]

A lot depends on your arm length as well as flexability. My bars are 5 inches below the saddle but I have a 36 inch sleeve length.