Is it Normal?

[MacB]

To be struggling to reach one foot down to the ground?

I was reading the thread yesterday on saddle height and, as I already suspected, my saddle is a bit low. I have knee flex when my heel is on the pedal at 6 o'clock. However raising it will mean that I'm struggling to get a foot down. Do people slide forward off the saddle, or look for a handy kerb, when stopped with a foot down?

 

[MadoneRider1991]

i get off the saddle if im going to stop, just so i know im not guna fall over lol

 

[kyuss]

I get off the saddle too. It's not really possible to get both good saddle height for efficient pedalling and to be able to get your foot down.

 

[Chris James]

If you touch the ground while sitting on the saddle then your saddle is way too low.

When you come to a stop you just get out of the saddle and then rest one foot on the floor and one on the pedal. There is no need to touch the floor while remaining seated.

 

[jimboalee]

Yup.

You can't put your foot on the ground when you're sat on the saddle.

This puts off a lot of young and new cyclists.

You have to slide your bum forward off the saddle to put your shoe on the tarmac. You will be in the 'stand-over' position.

If you want to dismount from this position, you swing your leg over the handlebars while juggling the bike with your hands.

Unless you have a Zipper Fairing, in which case you are stuck there for life,,,

 

[tyred]

On my "vintage" bikes, I find I can just about touch the ground with my toes. Not a chance on my MTB. Modern bikes seem to have a higher BB. I'm nor sure that this is really necessary or desireable tbh.

 

[xpc316e]

You're correct about the high bottom bracket fitted to mountain bikes - they do mean that you cannot get your toes anywhere near the ground when seated. They are 'necessary' to give clearance when getting over logs, tree stumps, etc. In the good old days one adjusted one's saddle height so that you could touch the ground and that also gave you near enough the correct riding position - now the two are completely exclusive.

 

[MacB]

Thanks folks, off to raise saddle height now!

 

[MadoneRider1991]

Thanks folks, off to raise saddle height now!

gdgd hope it helps, tell us how it goes

 

[tyred]

Thanks folks, off to raise saddle height now!

I've been there and done that with my slicked up MTB. You'll be amazed at how much easier the bike is to pedal. Starting of will be tricky the first few times.

 

[Carwash]

Stand right up on your tippy-toes. Or plonk one foot down, and keep the other one on the pedal.

 

[MacB]

well, think I raised it about an inch, stupidly removed the reflector to do so, it would have been a perfect guide for how much I raised the saddle. Think it could still go up a bit but I was doing this before setting off for home, so didn't want to take too long. My full commute is 40.59 miles round trip, had my fastest ride in yesterday morning at 1hr 39mins, less said about last nights trip home the better.

Today was the second time I've done the commute 2 days running, I was seriously tired this morning and was 3 minutes slower than yesterday. My overall mph average for the day was my best yet, 11.55mph. The trip home is always tougher but I had my best time for it, despite the fact that I was flagging energy wise.

Conclusion - this saddle up bit makes a big difference, will work on it further - tomorrow is a day of rest, just the 3.5 miles each way to the station.

 

[jimboalee]

Two schools of thought about seat height on a MTB.

Your legs are dampers.
You are stood up most of the time.
You use one foot down to negotiate tight corners.
You squat down on serious downhills.
You want some distance between saddle and crotch when stood up to avoid painfull contact.

And then there are the riders who only ride on a dedicated cycle track or the road.

But there are QR seatpost bolts.

 

[MacB]

Little update, having measured overall saddle height, compared to previously, it has been raised 30mm.

Commute today was done in 5 minutes faster than previous best, got me up to an average of 11.85mph. I noticed that I could stay in the saddle more on hills. The problems with my right shoulder are also getting better. This will be a combination of the butterfly bars, raising the saddle and getting stronger. I don't think I can erradicate this issue totally until the left arm is strong enough to take a fair share of the load. I had also noticed some pain in the front of my right knee, it was only mild but it's no longer evident at all.

thanks again folks, I learn a bit more each time