Seat height!!!

[staylor1992]

Hi guys !!

So, got a new road bike, what should my seat height be ive had so many different things bombarding me with what height the seat should be at? Is there one method that is 100% right?

So far i've been doing: put cyling shoes on and a spirit level at horizontal between my legs against my undercarriage representing my cycle seat, draw a line on a wall at the height of spirit level. Take that measurement and minus 10cm, this should be top of the saddle to the bottom of the bottom bracket (?) of the pedals?

Is this about right?


HELP!!

cheers



ST

 

[MikeW-71]

Quick ballpark setting which should be close to right:

Sit on the bike, put your heel on the pedal. Your leg should be straight when at the bottom of the stroke in this position, but without needing to stretch to get there. When you then put your foot on in the normal position, there will be a slight bend in your leg.

Small adjustments from there if needed. With Look cleats, I raised the saddle a few mm afterwards and that seems good

 

[Mobytek]

In short - get youself fitted. a few mm for or back on a cleat can equal many mm up or down on a saddle.

There are many methods - the 110% measurement of inside leg length, or andgles of ankle to knee to hip, plus shoulder curve, and ape factor to take into account.

At the very basic - get on rollers or a turbo, set a camera up at the side and records yourself riding. when you foot is at the bottom of your stroke, the pedal axle should beunder the ball of your foot, in ine with the centre of the crank, an in line with the tip of your seat.

And secondly, at the bottom of the stroke, if you are toe down / heel up = seat to high; toe up,/ heal down = seat too low; nice and flat = just right.

So - either do some swating up and get an assistant, or put a professional to work and earn a living.

 

[Drago]

Is there one method that is 100% right?

Nope.

You could get a professional bike fit, but seeing as the systems differ somewhat, and even partially contradict each other in some of the basic premises of biomechanics, which one of those is the 'right' one? The answer is that none of them are 'right'.

Comfort is the paramount parameter. Sit on the seat with you leg straight and you heel on the pedal in the bottom position, drop the seat 1/2" and you're well on your way. Be warned though, that's just a starting point, not the definitive 'right' height. Old Lance the junkie was famous for his team spending oodles of time and money on bike fits from various specialists, only for him to sneakily slip the post up by another cm because it simply felt more comfortable that way. He was also famous for blood doping and goofballs, but that's another story.

when you foot is at the bottom of your stroke, the pedal axle should beunder the ball of your foot, in ine with the centre of the crank, an in line with the tip of your seat.

That's a good example of bike fit bunkum. I have arms that would make an orangutang gasp with respect, so if I follow that old chestnut I end up too cramped in the cockpit. Longer stems alone make more room , but slow the steering feel, and custom frames with longer wheelbases affect the fundamental geometry. The only alternative is a subtle combination of adjustments to make more room, which then leave me in contravention of this piece of wisdom.

Swot up on these various methods and suggestions, feel free to experiment with them or use them as a starting point, but the position that allows you to ride most comfortably for the longest period is the one you should settle on, regardless of what any fitting system might tell you.

 

[Cyclist33]

In short - get youself fitted. a few mm for or back on a cleat can equal many mm up or down on a saddle.

There are many methods - the 110% measurement of inside leg length, or andgles of ankle to knee to hip, plus shoulder curve, and ape factor to take into account.

At the very basic - get on rollers or a turbo, set a camera up at the side and records yourself riding. when you foot is at the bottom of your stroke, the pedal axle should beunder the ball of your foot, in ine with the centre of the crank, an in line with the tip of your seat.

And secondly, at the bottom of the stroke, if you are toe down / heel up = seat to high; toe up,/ heal down = seat too low; nice and flat = just right.

So - either do some swating up and get an assistant, or put a professional to work and earn a living.

Surely the pedal axle will always be under the ball of your foot if that's where you put your feet when pedalling, ie that is irrelevant in terms of saddle... And the pedal axle will always be in line with the centre of the crank when the crank is at the bottom of the stroke. It couldn't be otherwise.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

http://bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx is a good place to start

 

[slowmotion]

I found this clip very helpful.
[media]
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk
[/media]

Apologies for posting it again.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Surely the pedal axle will always be under the ball of your foot if that's where you put your feet when pedalling, ie that is irrelevant in terms of saddle... And the pedal axle will always be in line with the centre of the crank when the crank is at the bottom of the stroke. It couldn't be otherwise.

If you have the cleats set up so that the pedal axle is behind the ball of your foot - as I do for example - then saddle height is likely to be slightly lower.

 

[Cyclist33]

If you have the cleats set up so that the pedal axle is behind the ball of your foot - as I do for example - then saddle height is likely to be slightly lower.

That doesn't alter the fact that the position of pedal axle relative to ball of foot is irrelative of where the pedal stroke is at.

 

[Sea of vapours]

That doesn't alter the fact that the position of pedal axle relative to ball of foot is irrelative of where the pedal stroke is at.

True. I was merely reiterating @Mobytek's point that cleat position is relevant to determining saddle height.

 

[cyberknight]

http://bikefit.com/s-13-road-bikes.aspx is a good place to start

Good place to start .