Handlebars above or below saddle hight

[rafletcher]

5-6cm lower, otherwise too much weight is on the sadddle.

[Kim]

I have to say, moving the bars above he saddle for the first time, well since I used to ride a Chopper  , is the most comfortable I have felt on a bike for a long time.
I can add that this is a touring bike with butterfly bars. I couldn't imagine drop handlebars higher than the saddle, so both my bikes with drop bars will stay as.
Maybe we need a poll for what type of handlebars you use on your bike.

I've got butterflies at about the same height as the saddle on my DF tourer (and slightly higher on the tandem, where I need all the mechanical advantage I can get).  I find them extremely comfortable, and the reduced weight on my arms means my dodgy wrists suffer less than they otherwise would (obviously the saddle area suffers more to balance the equilibrium).

When I rode a mountain bike, the bars were a bit lower than the saddle.  Seemed to work well, but I wasn't riding that for prolonged periods like I do the tourers, and that pre-dates my wrist problems.

Obviously, for proper comfort, under-seat steering is the One True Way (I voted before the relevant option was added to the poll).   

[LEE]

About the same or a smidge below.

I get neck & shoulder problems which is aggravated by an aggressive riding position.  Also I'm in no hurry.

[Gus]

At present the same, but now when my belly fat seems to sweat away, I might be able to lower it back to approx. 5 cm below the saddle again.

[Andrew Br]

On my tourer, which has a longer reach than the "light" bike, the bars are about the same height as the saddle. With the shorter reach "light" bike, the saddle is about 5cm higher than the bars.
I can use the drops (shallow) for extended periods on either bike.
My "hybrid" MTB has the saddle much higher than the bars despite a steep rise stem and upswept bars. It's not as comfortable as either of the other bikes.
At the back of my mind is a plan to put a new, uncut, fork on the MTB and fit drops; I reckon that higher bars will compensate for the longer reach.

[jogler]

Trek : bars lower than saddle
Longstaff : bars higher than saddle
Langster : bars & saddle same height.
tandem : bars higher than saddle.
mtb : bars lower than saddle.

[phantasmagoriana]

Lower on the road bike (about 5cm) and about the same height on the hybrid (which has butterflies).