London To Paris For A Older Newbie

[alicat]

Just raise it by a quarter inch and get used to it. After a few weeks or sooner if you feel confident, raise it by another quarter of an inch and repeat. As you raise it, practise stepping down off the saddle as you stop.

 

[12boy]

Another common starting point for saddle height is to have the saddle top as high as the top of your hip bone if you stand next to ghe bike. I always hop off the saddle, leaving one foot on a pedal and the other on the ground when I come to a stop. I put my weight on the foot on the ground and use the pedal foot to move the pedal to a 3 o'clock position while waiting. When I take off, I push hard on the pedal to get moving while getting the ground foot back on the pedal. Since my saddle is hip height when my feet are on the ground there is no way I can sit on the saddle and put both feet on the ground. All my bikes have same saddle to pedal height unless I have to ride on poor traction surfaces such as ice, snow or loose gravel. Then I drop the saddle a liitle bit, maybe 1/4 of an inch. Alicat is correct, though about small changes, since once used to the height, tilt and fore and aft placement, a very small change is immediately noticeable. Of course, what I like may be quite different than your preferences, so this is just my opinion.

 

[Bhitucyclist]

Another common starting point for saddle height is to have the saddle top as high as the top of your hip bone if you stand next to ghe bike. I always hop off the saddle, leaving one foot on a pedal and the other on the ground when I come to a stop. I put my weight on the foot on the ground and use the pedal foot to move the pedal to a 3 o'clock position while waiting. When I take off, I push hard on the pedal to get moving while getting the ground foot back on the pedal. Since my saddle is hip height when my feet are on the ground there is no way I can sit on the saddle and put both feet on the ground. All my bikes have same saddle to pedal height unless I have to ride on poor traction surfaces such as ice, snow or loose gravel. Then I drop the saddle a liitle bit, maybe 1/4 of an inch. Alicat is correct, though about small changes, since once used to the height, tilt and fore and aft placement, a very small change is immediately noticeable. Of course, what I like may be quite different than your preferences, so this is just my opinion.

Thanks , i am planning to increase the saddle height by 1/2 inch and practice.
Your idea of hip to saddle height is a great one. This sat day i will change and see the impact ! Fingers crossed i will get used to it

 

[Bhitucyclist]

The method I learned (from Richard Ballantyne's book I think) was that with your heel on the pedal at the lowest position while sitting on the saddle your knee joint should be straight. That means that when you transfer to having the ball of your foot on the pedal there's a slight bend in the knee.

That method has probably been debunked and is terribly old-fashioned and everyone will now throw rotten fruit at me.

Ha ha ha ,
I actually follow that rule ... not knowing that is a famous rule! Another cyclist on the road told me that i should raise me saddle and i tried it !

 

[Rusty Nails]

I wonder if @Haggis2w ever did that ride. He only ever made the one post.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I wonder if @Haggis2w ever did that ride. He only ever made the one post.

He set of last Autumn and still riding towards Paris via the M25. Forty five laps so far.

 

[mjr]

If you can't reach the ground while sitting on the saddle sounds like it might be too high. I'd expect you to at least be able to get one toe down while seated.

Not necessarily. It depends on the height of the bottom bracket and angle of the seat tube too.

 

[mjr]

Wrists/hands can be dealt with by using bar ends, ergon grips, moving the saddle forward so more weight is on your tush and less on your hands, tilting the saddle nose up a tad for the same effect

IMO that's bad advice. Once the saddle is in the correct place relative to the pedals, I'd leave it be and minimise the weight on my hands by moving the bars by changing stem angle, height or length, rather than moving the saddle. The BB spindle is the fixed point on the bike, then the seat has some adjustment and the bars have more.

 

[CXRAndy]

That method has probably been debunked and is terribly old-fashioned and everyone will now throw rotten fruit at me

I use the heel on pedal method, served me fine, in fact ive had to move a saddle 5mm from setting point, so its very accurate as a starting point.

 

[CXRAndy]

I cant reach the ground on any of my bikes. Im tip toe-ing. So I always unclip one foot and slide off saddle when I come to a stop.

Reach, stack and seat tube length dictate bike size not whether you can reach the ground whilst on the saddle

 

[Sharky]

Not necessarily. It depends on the height of the bottom bracket and angle of the seat tube too.

Also length of cranks. I went to shorter cranks, which meant I could raise the saddle, taking me further away from the ground.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Be aware the Tarmac is further away on French roads. You may need to lower the saddle after the ferry crossing.

 

[mjr]

Be aware the Tarmac is further away on French roads. You may need to lower the saddle after the ferry crossing.

Are you sure? Priority to the right can make it seem much closer sometimes!

 

[CXRAndy]

@Bhitucyclist

Did you get to Paris, was the effort worth the experience?

 

[Dogtrousers]

@Bhitucyclist

Did you get to Paris, was the effort worth the experience?

She got there ok https://www.cyclechat.net/goto/post?id=5735233