Legs

[rebelpeter]

Should you be able to straighten your legs when the peds are down,.or should they be still bent if so by how much i tend to sit on saddle and my leg is straight when the pedai that side is down so that legs fully extended is this right or wrong.....

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Should you be able to straighten your legs when the peds are down,.or should they be still bent if so by how much i tend to sit on saddle and my leg is straight when the pedai that side is down so that legs fully extended is this right or wrong.....

I know peds can be annoying sometimes (particularly the anti-cyclist ones), but there's no need to stand on them!

Seriously, though, I agree with what @User said.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Definitely shouldn't be able to straighten them fully. If i remember correctly I have about a 15 degree bend between upper and lower leg.

 

[uclown2002]

Nearly straight with the heal of the foot on the pedal is a good starting point.

+1

 

[oldroadman]

Try a basic adjustment. Measure inside leg to ground (bare feet) in mm. Multiply by 0.883. Use the result to set distance from top of saddle to centre of BB axle (straight line down the seat tube). This is a good starting point for heoght, which can be adjusted for fore and aft on saddle, and also slightly for height. method as suggested by one Bernard Hinault, who knows a thing or two. Your leg will never be straight, so after riding and still warm do some gentle stretches to keep hamstrings flexible and able to extend.

 

[rebelpeter]

Nearly straight with the heal of the foot on the pedal is a good starting point.

Most cycling shoes have your foot on the ball of ur feet. ????

Definitely shouldn't be able to straighten them fully. If i remember correctly I have about a 15 degree bend between upper and lower leg.

Yes i see i just happened to notice my last ride on one of my bikes that the saddle was lower tjan normal i found i got along faster not being ae to straighten my legs, and using the vintage rat traps i have on this bike the ball of the foot is on the pedal, cant understand tbough someone said the heel of the foot on the pedals right, maybe that was a typing error and meant ball of the foot.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Aperitif]

Nearly straight with the heal of the foot on the pedal is a good starting point.

Well, it's a TinyMyTypo...

 

[atbman]

Try a basic adjustment. Measure inside leg to ground (bare feet) in mm. Multiply by 0.883. Use the result to set distance from top of saddle to centre of BB axle (straight line down the seat tube). This is a good starting point for height, which can be adjusted for fore and aft on saddle, and also slightly for height. method as suggested by one Bernard Hinault, who knows a thing or two. Your leg will never be straight, so after riding and still warm do some gentle stretches to keep hamstrings flexible and able to extend.

Tthat makes my saddle height 81.28cm. Having difficulty with the last 8/100ths of a centimetre. Any ideas anyone?

 

[cyberknight]

Tthat makes my saddle height 81.28cm. Having difficulty with the last 8/100ths of a centimetre. Any ideas anyone?

Its all a "ball park " figure , not an exact science 81.3 cm is close enough and many other formulas exist that give slightly different results as well as bike fitting services that can track your legs with cameras etc .
Anything within 5 mm +/- is close enough and you can adjust to suit from there .
Incidentally i use .89 to BB which gives me 69 cm to BB, the same as heel on pedal leg straight but im a short ass
Have a look at ......
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html

 

[rebelpeter]

No, not a typo. You put your heel on the pedal with a nearly straight leg for the purpose of getting the distance right, not for riding.

Ahh i get it thought u meant riding thats why i queried it, ill try this and guess ur leg would not b straight when u use bsll of the foot to ride

Thankz

 

[rebelpeter]

Try a basic adjustment. Measure inside leg to ground (bare feet) in mm. Multiply by 0.883. Use the result to set distance from top of saddle to centre of BB axle (straight line down the seat tube). This is a good starting point for heoght, which can be adjusted for fore and aft on saddle, and also slightly for height. method as suggested by one Bernard Hinault, who knows a thing or two. Your leg will never be straight, so after riding and still warm do some gentle stretches to keep hamstrings flexible and able to extend.

Too tecnical for me these measurements hey im still into inches but i guess then whay your saying is your leg should not fully straighten, is this right, the exercise sounds good.

Nks

 

[cyberknight]

measure like this ....
A= setting the height
B= what you ride like

 

[rebelpeter]

You got it.

Many thanks

 

[lulubel]

I set mine like this ...

Keep raising the saddle in small increments (2 or 3 millimetres) as I'm getting close to what I know is the "straight leg" point.

Ride the bike and see how it feels. If I get to the point where I'm rocking my hips slightly to pedal, I know I've gone too high, and drop it back down to the previous point.

Generally, I find, up to the hip rocking point, the higher, the better. And I can straighten my leg at the bottom of the stroke, by pushing my heel down hard with the ball of my foot on the pedal.