Saddle Height.

[Doug. F.]

Hello.
Returned to cycling with a racer type cycle.
Please can any one advise me as to what height I should have the saddle ?
That is sitting on it with both (or one foot )on the ground other on peddle or sitting on it with both feet or just toes touching the ground.
Or what is the "rule of thumb" for saddle height ?
Thank you in anticapation of a reply.

Doug.

 

[dantheman]

im no expert, but i believe that when wearing the shoes you will cycle in, your leg should be just about straight when your heel is on the pedal, and the pedal is at the bottom of its stroke. This means that when you cycle, your leg wont be quite as extended, you will probably find that you will be about tiptoeing on the ground when in the saddle. as a general rule, i think you want is as high as is comfortable for you, too high and your hips will rock, and it will wear your back out, too low and you lose efficiency..

 

[dantheman]

oh yeah, and when you are happy with the height, try playing around a little with the angle (starting from horizontal), small changes can make quite a difference..

 

[MessenJah]

See picture B - your leg should be like that at the bottom of the pedal stroke

 

[fossyant]

The correct 'quick set up, is.

Sit on bike - without shoes. Make sure you are seated correctly and not leaning - so prop against a wall. Put pedal at lowest position i.e. bottom of stroke). You should just be able to touch the axel part(middle) of the pedal with your heal with a straight leg.

Feet on floor doesn't apply at all, as bottom bracket heights vary with bikes (i.e. the bit the cranks spin on).

You may need to adjust this at some point - but it's a good starting point.

 

[Speicher]

I am not confident at all on a bike, if I cannot easily put one foot flat on the ground if I have to stop. So should I set the saddle height a bit lower, to get the required balance and confidence and then put it higher later.

Or should I persevere at an uncomfortable height, knowing that the pedalling action is correct? Advice would be appreciated.

 

[wlc1]

When I had my bike delivered I set it up myself.

Mistake number 1

Over a few hundred miles I developed right anterior knee pain and lumbar back pain.


Not until the wife's uncle ( long time serious cyclist and physio) fitted me correctly and pain free since.

Do not under estimate the correct saddle height, angle etc. It can and does make a huge difference.

Apart from that I can't help sorry.

 

[Speicher]

It looks like a visit to the lbs is in order. There used to be two, one ordinary one, and then one for people who wish to race over giant distances. I think I need a new saddle. So I will see what they offer.
I will also read the thread on Beginners about comfy saddles for females.

 

[punkypossum]

You get used to your feet not being able to touch the floor - it doesn't take very long!

 

[fossyant]

Let's just say, on my MTB, I can only just put the tip of my foot down because of the BB height whilst sat on the saddle, and only a small contact patch with road shoes (and they are slippy). Foot to floor height is so wrong, and will lead to knee damage for a regular cyclist.

No two heights - just one.... preserves the knees....

Just practice with balance etc.

 

[Doug. F.]

Thank you all for the replies and sharing your expertise.
Best Regards
Doug.

 

[Paulus]

I am not confident at all on a bike, if I cannot easily put one foot flat on the ground if I have to stop. So should I set the saddle height a bit lower, to get the required balance and confidence and then put it higher later.

Or should I persevere at an uncomfortable height, knowing that the pedalling action is correct? Advice would be appreciated.

Once You have the confidence you don't need to have your foot flat on the ground, just your toes on one foot as you will automatically lean to one side once you have stopped. This is enough to stop you going over as you won't be in that position for very long before you are pedalling along.

 

[summerdays]

I am not confident at all on a bike, if I cannot easily put one foot flat on the ground if I have to stop. So should I set the saddle height a bit lower, to get the required balance and confidence and then put it higher later.

Or should I persevere at an uncomfortable height, knowing that the pedalling action is correct? Advice would be appreciated.

If you aren't confident then you shouldn't put it right up, however try putting it up a few millimeters so your feet aren't completely flat, no more than 0.5 cm and see how that goes for a bit. When that feels OK put it up a little more. I'm assuming you are not doing great distances.

The bike shop put a piece of sticky tape around the seat post of my bike, so they could ride it to sort out a problem. And it has been raised about inch over a period of time.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Am I the only one that moves off the saddle then when I come to rest at lights etc. I can't touch the floor when on the saddle, so simply move off it when not moving. Thought this was standard practise - to be astride the top tube rather than on the saddle...

 

[Scoosh]

Am I the only one that moves off the saddle then when I come to rest at lights etc. I can't touch the floor when on the saddle, so simply move off it when not moving.

No - the Scoosh family riders do too.

Thought this was standard practice - to be astride the top tube rather than on the saddle...

So did I