wotsit..

[roadiewill]

whats that little test you can do for saddle height by sitting on the saddle, putting the pedal in the dead position and the heel of the foot should just touch the pedal? is that right? should it be done with or without cycling shoes on?

ta

 

[Cubist]

With your heel on the pedal in the shoes you wear to ride, your leg should just be bent slightly.

 

[roadiewill]

in the 'dead' position, so the crank is about 5 O'clock?

 

[mickle]

At very best it's a benchmark from which to make incremental tweaks. There are too many variables to make it an absolute. 5mm can be the the difference between right and wrong.

 

[roadiewill]

right, well I have about a 2cm gap atm so that cant be right haha
thanks

 

[Randochap]

With your heel on the pedal in the shoes you wear to ride, your leg should just be bent slightly.

Nope. The leg should be straight at the 6 O'clock position with heel on pedal ... slightly bent with foot in the normal -- ball of foot on pedal -- position, providing you are sitting level on the saddle, with hips straight.

A very close way to measure is by using inseam (floor to crotch) measurement and multiply by .883. That will give you the bottom bracket centre-to-saddle-top measurement, which, in my experience, will put you within a centimetre or two of perfect.

Here's a chart with both frame size and saddle height, with adjustments for tall/shorter riders.

 

[roadiewill]

at the 6'0clock... ok....

 

[Cubist]

That's me told then! Ta.

 

[Dave5N]

Nope. The leg should be straight at the 6 O'clock position with heel on pedal ... slightly bent with foot in the normal -- ball of foot on pedal -- position, providing you are sitting level on the saddle, with hips straight.

A very close way to measure is by using inseam (floor to crotch) measurement and multiply by .883. That will give you the bottom bracket centre-to-saddle-top measurement, which, in my experience, will put you within a centimetre or two of perfect.

Here's a chart with both frame size and saddle height, with adjustments for tall/shorter riders.

Nope. Slightly bent. Most people will lead with the hip.

A centimetre or two of perfect is nowhere near good enough for anyone.

 

[Randochap]

Nope. Slightly bent. Most people will lead with the hip.

A centimetre or two of perfect is nowhere near good enough for anyone.

Incorrect. But feel free to use that for yourself.

The point is that there are no absolutes in bike fit so the advice I've forwarded will indeed get most people within a centimetre or so. Are you claiming your "slightly bent w/ heel" is more accurate?

 

[jimboalee]

Randochap has the upper hand here.

Your "Inside leg" is your 'Standing height minus your Seated height'. Seated height is sat down on the floor with legs outstretched, floor to top of head.

Multiply your Inside leg by 0.883 ( or 0.88 rounded down ).

As Randochap says, the result is from B/B Centre to upper surface of saddle up the centre line of the seat tube.
For sprung saddles and suspension seatposts, use your common sense.

 

[roadiewill]

so the leg should be straight when the heel is placed on the pedal at the 6 oclock position....

 

[jimboalee]

The LeMond scale gives results comparable to what was used in the seventies and eighties (before sloping toptubes, but they don't effect the formulae).

My LBS would have agreed with it 'cus he sold me a 57cm frame for my 84.5cm Inside leg.

I ride a 54cm frame now and it is far more ergonomic than my Pug.


The 0.883 multiplier is the way to go, although I use 0.875 on one bike to compensate for the pedals/shoes I have.

 

[roadiewill]

OK so measuring inside leg, it it just without shoes from the bottom of the foot to your nuts??

 

[Cubist]

Depends where your nuts are. If they're in the basket on the front you'll be well out.