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I'm 175 cm (5′9″) tall and have a 26" hardtail MTB. This bike is apparently small for my size because bike manufacturers do not recommend 26" bikes for my height. However I had gotten this bike frame many years ago and built the bike without knowing nothing about bike fit at that time. I made some modifications to make it fit to my size by adding 3 spacers under the stem and opting for a 120mm stem.

When I reach the handlebar in upright position there is very little flexion on my elbows. I don't feel comfortable and relaxed in this position. I think replacing the stem with a shorter one would not help as my sitting position is higher than the handlebar. What do you think I should do?

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    Some photos with you on the bike from the side and behind would help to at least get an idea how far off your fit is. Saddle higher than the handlebar is not necessarily bad.
    – Michael
    Commented Jun 1 at 20:02

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Once upon a time MTBs were all 26". I've had a couple and I'm 20cm taller than you. These days bigger wheels are more common for all adult riders but your frame could be the right size for you given that you've had it for years.

Seats higher than the bars are pretty common. On road bikes they're almost universal. On MTBs used on rough stuff the saddle tends to be set low as you're not on it much. But that's bad for your knees if you do sit down especially for climbs (this, BTW, is the reason for dropper posts). On MTBs used on easy surfaces sitting higher than the bars is normal, as on hybrids. That doesn't mean you have to set it up that way. A stem with more up angle might be worth a try, shorter as well.

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  • Actually I use it only on tarmac and don't mind the high saddle height but it makes the reach problematic. Your suggestion sounds good. Thank you.
    – Ender
    Commented Jun 1 at 11:56

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