Height of person vs. Height of bike. Formula?

Question

I've been playing with the height of my bike seat and handle bars, but can't get some where that feels comfortable. Is there any formula or guess work that would help me find a suggested height of handle bars/ seat based on my height or some other given factor? Thanks.

Answer 1

for the seat: when you sit on it, you should only have your tip toes on the ground. as for the handle bars, you have to guess by your personal preference

Answer 2

competitive cyclist has a great fit calculator... gets you close to the right position.  The final setting will depend on your flexibility and whether you want an aggressive position or relaxed positon

Answer 3

Height of the bike seat is pretty straightforward..  It needs to be high enough so that when you pedal, you can comfortably extend your leg on the downstroke.  Usually a comfortable extension is when your leg is slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.

The height of the handlebars is a bit harder to pin down, because it depends on what your preferences are as to riding posture.  Some people like a more upright riding posture, so the handlebars would be higher / closer to the rider.  Some people like a more aggressive horizontal riding posture for aerodynamics, which means the handlebars are low and you are bent over the bike.

Just keep in mind that even TINY adjustments can sometimes make a huge difference.  So experiment in small increments.

Good luck.