Saddle height

[mmace]

how high should my saddle be?
I've noticed that when cycling to work that when my leg is at the bottom it's still quite bent (on the peddle), should it be nearly straight?

cheers

 

[biking_fox]

Yes it should be nearly straight! - not completely straight, certainly not stretching the knee to reach the bottom straight, but nearly straight. It does depend a bit on the general geometry of your frame though.

Note your seat post will have a maximum extension marking on it, do not raise you saddle past this point. You can buy a new longer seat post if needed.

 

[Chris James]

Leg straight with the heel on the pedal is a good guide as this gives you a slight bend when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal.

 

[dodgy]

Leg straight with the heel on the pedal is a good guide as this gives you a slight bend when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal.

/nods.

Dave.

 

[Plax]

Leg straight with the heel on the pedal is a good guide as this gives you a slight bend when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal.

Yeah, I've done this but I still feel like my saddle isn't high enough. Maybe I'm just imagining things, I still feel my knees don't like it sometimes and that my legs are too bent still.

 

[Keith Oates]

I also start with the heel on the pedal for the initial set up (using the shoes you'll be riding in normally) and then adjust a little bit up or down when you've got a few miles on the clock. It can take several adjustments before you feel comforable so just keep moving a few mm at a time until you reach a position that's good for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mmace]

cheers guys, much appreciated

 

[515mm]

get a pal to ride behind you and watch your hip bones for you. If they move up and down when you pedal, your seat's too high. Most of my pals have kept raising their 'posts a couple of mm every other week as the body does adapt. When the hips wiggle, it's time to move it back down a couple of mm. Did that to mine last week (thankyou Lardyboy)and set a new personal best on the way home last night. yee-haa!

 

[Mr Pig]

I still feel my knees don't like it sometimes and that my legs are too bent still.

If you move anything it'll take you a while to get used to it, give it time. If I've not been on my bike for a while my knees can sometimes hurt a little but after a week or two they're fine. You're just moving different muscles etc in way's they're not used to.

 

[Dave5N]

Keith's right. Just a few mm can make a huge difference.

 

[kyuss]

Yeah, I've done this but I still feel like my saddle isn't high enough. Maybe I'm just imagining things, I still feel my knees don't like it sometimes and that my legs are too bent still.

I'm exactly the same. Heel on the pedal just doesn't feel high enough and places too much exertion on my thigh muscles and not enough on my calves. It's certainly a good starting point and I'd imagine you wouldn't want it any lower than that, but I think it depends on your pedaling style as well. I'm very much a big gear, toes down kinda guy so have it set higher than most.

 

[Chris James]

Another alternative is the 109% of your inside leg length method. Funnily enough, the heel on pedal method gives me exactly 109% too, but I suppose it depends on how big your feet are amongst other things.

 

[Andy Pandy]

I had real problems get a comfortable saddle height, until my physio (following bike accident) worked out that I had around 5 mm difference in my leg lengths. When walking I compensate by adjusting my hips, but on the bike, where the hips are fixed, my saddle height was always wrong for one leg. I cured it by using a suspension seat post that gives a little flexibility/movement in height.