Workshop wisdom

How to adjust the handlebar height on your bike

- Words Jack Luke Images Stan Portus

Having the correct handlebar height is important to the overall comfort and handling of your bike. It's one of the most important things you can do to help you achieve a more tailored position and improve the overall fit. Racier cyclists will want to drop their bar for aerodynamic gains, while more relaxed riders may raise it for a less restrictive position. Here, we'll show you how to alter the bar height on a bike with a modern threadless stem and headset.

1) First, loosen the two clamp bolts on the back of the stem equally. You don't need to undo them fully - just enough so that the stem is free to move.

2) Remove the headset top cap, which sits above the stem - usually it needs a 4 or 5mm hex key - along with any spacers on top of the stem. This is a good time to add a little fresh grease to the top-cap bolt.