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When I look at other bikes I see the saddle is higher than the stem/bar. On my bike the saddle is a bit lower. Maybe I have short legs as I don't think the saddle can go higher comfortably. I'm 5'8 and my bike is a Small 29er frame. Maybe it is the bike model or geometry. My stem is slightly angled up I could flip it- it has no spacers currently and the bar is the std Silverback flat bar with no rise. Why is my saddle so low in comparison to others? Also on a mtb is one not so supposed to sit more upright on the trail? Which would mean a higher stem/bar or is this not so. I was thinking of going shorter stem 45mm or 55mm (its now 80mm) and wider bars 740mm- 780mm (up from 700mm) thinking I'd get more control and a zero stem angle but then it usually means a riser bar and that means my saddle will be lower than the stem/bar.......

I know Friday is the worst time to post a semi-serious question, but here goes: How did you come to find your preferred handlebar width? Trial and error, whatever came on the bike, what a bike fitter suggested, shoulder width? To me logic says that the most aero solution is to have bars that are at least as narrow as your shoulders. Unfortunately that puts me in the region of 36cm when stretched out. I currently ride 40cm c2c

Thanks to all the cyclists that assited me when my left-handlebar broke while standing and peddling in a group on the Bottelary Saturday morning. The bar opened a deep gash in my upper part of my leg that needed stiches and I am quite bruised. Sorry to the other guys that also fell.This was one of those rare things as I never heard of this before.. All I want to say is this is rare but check your bike for cracks. We all were lucky that the cars missed us. Thanks again.

So I was following the comments recently in the classified section for the Rapide 780mm handlebar. It was selling for only R250, which was already unbelievable, but it sounded almost too good to be true. The general feedback was that its a good bar, at a very good price. I decided to get one this week, and this is the reason I'm posting this. Not because of the bar itself, but because of the service I got from Rapide. On Wednesday I mailed them to ask if they had stock. A consultant named Wayne informed me that they have 2 in stock, and I asked that he keep one. I was surprised to hear that he would. It only got better from here... Yesterday morning I made the purchase, the price was R279 which was fine. On the website, you can choose between shipping methods. Same day shipping, next business day or general courier. All of them at different costs. I chose general shipping, which is about R50 or so, and I assume it's 2-3 working days, depending on where it is couriered to. To my surprise, while still at the office yesterday, the bar was delivered. Without adding additional courier charges or something like that. All of the above is why I'm posting this. To praise the service from Rapide. So often it happens that customer service lets a company down, but what I experienced yesterday, will make return to Rapide for whatever time and time again. Thanks

I'm relatively new to the whole cycling and mountain biking scene. And I was lucky enough to get a decent bike through the BikeHub classifieds section. But one thing that's been on my mind is, how big difference the size of the handlebar make to your riding style/comfort? I measured mine yesterday ( 650mm ) and it doesn't feel quite right to me. Is there specific sizes based on the riders' physical size/built? Please advise.

Hi, I am keen on buying a new handlebar and stem for my mountain bicycle. Any advice on what are good products? Carbon/not carbon? My goal with mountain biking is long rides with the occasional single track and rocky sections. I had a look at Ritchey, don't now the product that well. Any advice would be appreciated. I am tall, 1.93m. Regards, Brendan

Handlebars can be a touchy subject. These days, everyone's on the "wider is most definitely better" bandwagon, with even marathon riders being advised to ditch their long stems and narrow bars for setups which sit as close as possible to the steerer and create as much leverage as possible to (man)handle the front wheel. Click here to view the article

Hello everyone, i'm going to build my new frame in the next month. I have 16k and was thinking to get Shimano 105 group set and Campognolo scirocco wheel set. I do not have a idea on the handlebars, stem, seat post and saddle to put on. I have a swift attack frame. Any suggestions to what to put on with my budget and any good cycle shops in cape town where I can get components for reasonable prices?

When the guys at Performance Bikes told us they had some shiny FUNN gear for us to look at, we weren't quite prepared for the colour assault our eyes were in for. The main attention grabber being the Fatboy Chameleon bars, although the two pairs of pedals, the cross-country Tactic and downhill Mamba, can't be labeled as dull either. Click here to view the article

When I asked the guys from Larc Distributors for some products to test, they immediately wanted to give me some flashy colours to show off their FUNN lineup. I usually like a more sedated look - some small colour accents here and there, nothing fancy. So when Ryan and Andrew handed over some colourful items, I was a bit taken aback, but also kind of intrigued. Click here to view the article

Following our last article on handle bar width, readers felt more information was needed on specifics such as riders shoulder width vs handlebar width, handle bar back sweep/rise and stem length/angle. In this two part article, we tackle these questions and explain how correct handle bar setup can improve your cycling. Click here to view the article