Saddle Height

TinyExplosions

Right folks, just wondering how all of ye sort out saddle height. Do you:

• Use the old heel on pedal, leg straight
• 109% of leg inseam from pedal to top of saddle
• 'LeMond' method -0.883% of inseam from centre of Bottom Bracket to top of saddle
• Something else entirely

Curious to see how you set up -I was tinkering around yesterday, and was going to give the LeMond method a try (it meant lowering my saddle a couple of cm), but managed to feck up my seat post clamp (torque wrench needed!).

So, what do you do!

kenmc

I put it as high as I can and then drop it until my hips don't need to rock on the saddle to make a pedal stroke

Raam

I just put it to whatever feels most natural. Not the most scientific method out there

Morgan

I use the heel-on-pedal method to get an initial height and adjust it slightly depending on how it feels when riding.

smithslist

Raam wrote: »

I just put it to whatever feels most natural. Not the most scientific method out there

im the same, watever is comfortable and suits you best, did get measured properly in superstore for it but at that prediction personally it wasnt comfortable\natural for me.

Freewheeling Ed

for me, it depends a bit on what kind of cycling you are doing.

I'm mostly (well all really) cycling around the city, so prefer a slightly lower saddle height, so can have a toe on the ground at lights etc, but would go a tad higher if was doing long distance/touring.

davidsatelle100

I would be the same as Ed, but tend not to change it even if on a long(er) cycle

need to be able to get those feet down in a hurry sometimes

Raam

I dunno what you too lads be at on a bike that you need to be able to touch the ground while on the saddle!

stuf

TinyExplosions wrote: »

• 'LeMond' method -0.883% of inseam from centre of Bottom Bracket to top of saddle

I think that would only work for the combination of Le Mond's inseam and crank length - makes no sense in absolute terms

TinyExplosions

stuf wrote: »

I think that would only work for the combination of Le Mond's inseam and crank length - makes no sense in absolute terms

From le grimpeur...

LeMond was also fastidious about his riding position and, with the help of Cyrille Guimard, made a number of changes to his riding position and set-up that remain popular today. In particular, LeMond recommends a seat height based on the following calculation: inseam x 0.883.

Good advice indeed and according to LeMond this calculation is based on 170mm cranks. He, however, used the same calculation but adopted 175mm cranks, perhaps inspired by Jacques Anquetil, giving an even higher ride position. Le grimpeur, however, favours 170 or 172.5mm (bike dependent) but has adopted LeMond’s seat height calculation nonetheless.

It works out very similar to the 109%, and so is accurate in as much as any mathematical formula can be -ie, not so good if you're different to the norm physiologically (longer thigh bones etc).... there's also the goniometer method as well, trying to achieve a 25-35 degree angle in your knee when it is at bottom dead center or when the crank arm is in line with the seat tube

CheGuedara

I spin 172.5s and use the Le Monde calc for saddle height. No problems yet

rubadub

TinyExplosions wrote: »

[*]'LeMond' method -0.883% of inseam from centre of Bottom Bracket to top of saddle

hmm I go for 0.884 myself... It would not only be the crank, but pedal and shoe thickness altering stuff too, even how much padding is on your shorts!

Last giant manual I read was saying leg fully extended with no shoes on, then when the shoe is on it is slightly bent. Seems a good simple one to explain "slight bend" to people.

I still see some people commuting with saddles so low their knees are going up to their tits.

Lumen

rubadub wrote: »

I still see some people commuting with saddles so low their knees are going up to their tits.

Age does that to a woman.

Canis Lupus

I'm no expert but like Kenmc I up the height and then drop it till I'm not rocking the hips. I can just get one tippy toe on the ground at a stand still but much prefer a high saddle position to a low one.

Junior

Quickest way to set it up is the following, adjust the saddle height so that you are slightly rocking trying to pedal when in bare feet, cycling shoes will add in the difference.

SetOverSet

Heel on pedal with leg straight for me, then fine tune it a few mm up or down as needs be...