Is this a saddle fore / aft issue ?

[Colin Grigson]

I usually feel as if my Quadriceps are engaged much more than my Hamstrings / Glutes ... could this be due to incorrect setting of the saddle fore / aft ? .... or something else entirely ?. For background I’m a fairly new cyclist - 8 months ago I started, and I’ve covered around 5,000km on a road bike on flat terrain generally.

 

[Paulus]

Good morning Colin.
It could also be a problem with the height of the saddle.
Some photos of you on the bike would be helpful when you can.
Have a look at this vid to get some idea of positioning.

View: https://youtu.be/FVu5Zrktm40

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

...... And as that you tube channel has run out ideas for videos

There is also

https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/video/how-to-find-the-right-saddle-height-on-your-road-bike

which is presented by Manon not Simon.

Bye

Ian

 

[cyberknight]

https://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf

 

[Gunk]

Most beginners have their saddle far too low.

 

[cyberknight]

Most beginners have their saddle far too low.

indeed saddle to low burns those quads and grinding big gear are classic mistakes

 

[DRM]

Easiest way is sit on your bike, put one pedal at 6 O' Clock, put your heel on the pedal, your leg should be fully stretched out, but your heel should be still touching the pedal, with the ball of your foot on the pedal there should a slight bend at the knee, when pedalling make sure your hips aren't rocking side to side, if they are it's a tad too high

 

[Kajjal]

Another simple way to check saddle height is try to raise yourself off the saddle upwards in line with the seat tube. If you can’t it’s too high.

 

[Colin Grigson]

Easiest way is sit on your bike, put one pedal at 6 O' Clock, put your heel on the pedal, your leg should be fully stretched out, but your heel should be still touching the pedal, with the ball of your foot on the pedal there should a slight bend at the knee, when pedalling make sure your hips aren't rocking side to side, if they are it's a tad too high

That’s exactly how I set up the height originally ... I then tried to raise it a couple of mm but found my hips were rocking - as you said. That’s why I asked if it could be a fore/aft issue ... I’m pretty sure the height is correct.

 

[DRM]

I've found that if the fore/aft adjustment was out, it seemed that I was naturally sitting either too far back, or forward and constantly had to reposition myself whilst riding.

 

[Colin Grigson]

indeed saddle to low burns those quads and grinding big gear are classic mistakes

Thank you cyberknight (and previously Gunk), my natural cadence seems to be around 85 - 90 rpm so I can’t really ‘grind’ high gears - unless I’ve misunderstood what you mean ...

 

[Mo1959]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the further back, the more it recruited your hamstrings but I may have made that up!

 

[Colin Grigson]

I've found that if the fore/aft adjustment was out, it seemed that I was naturally sitting either too far back, or forward and constantly had to reposition myself whilst riding.

Thank you DRM, I thought the same , but I don’t adjust much at all - my position feels comfortable and natural - it’s possible I just feel the work more in my quads since I’ve never really worked them in 55 years ....

 

[Colin Grigson]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the further back, the more it recruited your hamstrings but I may have made that up!

Thank you Mo, yes - this (or similar) rings a bell with me too !

 

[Archie_tect]

I move about on the saddle quite a lot so I don't stay in one position all the time- someone on a YT video suggested moving the cleats as far back as they'll go on my shoes which seemed to make my position on the bike more comfortable. I sometimes get left knee pain which another YT video suggested my seat is possibly slightly too high and I'm not central on the seat and using my right leg more. There's a lot of conflicting information from 'bike experts' on YT, so you have to take their ideas and experiment with little tweaks here and there find what suits you best I think.