How high should my seat be?

Shed.

Total road bike noob, just bought the bike. Im not looking for a measurement. Should my leg be totally straight when fully extended or should there be a bend in my knee? Im not looking to go racing, just a little high speed touring.

Any advice appreciated.

Healy Boy

i like my seat high, but i would be able touch the ground perfect with my foot as well, not with my tippy toes??

cdaly_

Put the arch of your foot on the pedal at the bottom of its stroke. You should be able to sit on the saddle with your leg just fully extended.

petethedrummer

Slight bend not straight.

You shouldn't be able to put your foot flat on the ground.

Saddle too low => Sore knees and quads.
Saddle too high => lower back/hip issues.

It can be tempting to put your saddle too low if you like to be able to touch the ground when your stopped.

It can be tempting to put your saddle too high to try and get more power from legs before your quads have gotten used to cycling.


Quads are the front thigh muscles, aren't they??

Tonyandthewhale

Ever so slight bend in the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke with the ball of the foot on the pedal.

kenmc

Healy Boy wrote: »

i like my seat high, but i would be able touch the ground perfect with my foot as well, not with my tippy toes??

sounds way too low.

mel.b

Sorry to hijack this thread but this is something that i have been wondering about since i got my bike.

I feel my knee is quite bent when i'm riding. However i can barely touch the ground when stopped. I took my bike back to the shop to ask them and was told i can't have it both ways - i can either have the seat up higher with a straighter leg and not be able to touch the ground or have the seat lower (or where it is now) and barely be able to touch the ground. I'm right up on my tippy toes and have to lean the bike on an angle. He also said i sould get used to standing in front of the seat when i stop rather than staying over the saddle. As i didn't get to try that speific frame size when i was getting the bike i was wondering if the frame was too small but was categorically told 'no', but wonder if this response was more because they didn't want to take it back

So, is it possible to have a good leg position that is not too bent and still be able to reach the ground?
Thanks,
Mel.b

petethedrummer

mel.b wrote: »

So, is it possible to have a good leg position that is not too bent and still be able to reach the ground?

No, if you want to be able to stand on the ground when sitting on the saddle and have your legs at almost full stretch when your at the bottom of the down stroke, then the pedals would have to be about a half an inch off the ground. Which would affect turning.

Unless you put your saddle wayyyyyyyy back and downwards. But then you couldn't reach the handlebars.


The only solution would be to ride a cruiser bike.

mel.b

petethedrummer wrote: »

No, if you want to be able to stand on the ground when sitting on the saddle and have your legs at almost full stretch when your at the bottom of the down stroke, then the pedals would have to be about a half an inch off the ground. Which would affect turning.

Unless you put your saddle wayyyyyyyy back and downwards. But then you couldn't reach the handlebars.


The only solution would be to ride a cruiser bike.

Thanks. So I'm currently up on the balls of my feet when sitting on the seat and me knees when pedalling are still quite bent i feel, so it sounds like my seat could go up a little bit more and i just need to learn to move forward and off the seat when stopping?

petethedrummer

mel.b wrote: »

Thanks. So I'm currently up on the balls of my feet when sitting on the seat and me knees when pedalling are still quite bent i feel, so it sounds like my seat could go up a little bit more

Probably. Your thighs/knees are probably aching after short distances. Don't go too far though. You don't want to over extend your ankle or have your hips rocking. There's a happy medium there somewhere.

I'll assume you're a girl from your name. Alot of girls seem to have their saddles too low, probably for foot on the ground reasons.

mel.b wrote: »

and i just need to learn to move forward and off the seat when stopping?

Yep or you'll fall over. :pac:

Shed.

Very insightful, I'll be dropping it down about an inch. Just went for a handy paced 40 minute cycle there. My ass is killing me not from peddling, from the rock solid Selle San Marco labeled brick Ive been sitting on. I presume padded shorts are the only way to go? I dunno if I can bring myself to wear bicycle shorts... I managed a terrifying 46 km/h on a down hill bit of road. I WILL be wearing a helmet the next time.
Its hard to get used to the bike being so light, it feels fragile compared to a MTB and when i look over my shoulder the bike turns (generally in to traffic).
All in all though Im happy with the purchase.

Shed.

Thanks for the advice by the way. More questions will follow.

Khannie

Shed. wrote: »

I presume padded shorts are the only way to go? I dunno if I can bring myself to wear bicycle shorts...

Man....you're in for a treat when you wear your first set of padded shorts. I was like "holy crap! So that's why they wear these horrible lookin' yokes."

Shed.

Ok, nice one. lookin forward to that.

jimbobaloobob

mel.b wrote: »

He also said i sould get used to standing in front of the seat when i stop rather than staying over the saddle. As i didn't get to try that speific frame size when i was getting the bike i was wondering if the frame was too small but was categorically told 'no', but wonder if this response was more because they didn't want to take it back

So, is it possible to have a good leg position that is not too bent and still be able to reach the ground?
Thanks,
Mel.b

Hi Mel

It would be good practice not to be in the seat when intending to stand on your bike. Typically you wont be able to have your foot flat on the ground unless you lean the bike or have the saddle too short, if its too short it may feel more comfortable in terms of control when standing still but will effect your comfort and control and safety when riding along.

Also starting the bike by pushing on the pedal and rising into the seat will give you a better more controlled take off.

I know this could get very technical and start looking at leg angles etc but i get the feeling this is a general cycling a bike enquiry rather than once causing injury or looking for cycling performance.

Happy Cycling
J

jimbobaloobob

Shed. wrote: »

Ok, nice one. lookin forward to that.

you could also get a padded short that looks like this if skin tight isnt your thing

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/SearchResults.aspx?Search=bike+shorts+mtb

accompanied by a liner short that will give you the padding.

Rovi

Shed. wrote: »

Ok, nice one. lookin forward to that.

Here's something I posted recently in another thread on the subject of people getting their first pair of proper padded cycling shorts, just in case it's unknown to you:

Me wrote: »

As a slight aside to your saddle question, but in further pursuit of perennial bliss (and my apologies if you already know this), but the chamois lined shorts are worn 'commando'.
Over the years, I've seen quite a lot of new cyclists wearing underpants or swimming togs or, on one memorable occasion, underpants AND football shorts () under their newly purchased first pair of proper cycling shorts, with pretty predictable (and painful) results: chaffing, cuts, blisters.
Also, chamois cream or balm is worth investigating. It goes either on the chamois or on your skin and greatly adds to comfort levels.

Again, my apologies if this is already known to you, but just in case...

Shed.

Jim and Rovi thanks for the advice.

cantalach

Many of the newbies in my group wear underwear under their bike shorts, in some cases full boxer shorts! How uncomfortable must the sensitive Khyber Pass region be in that case? *shudders*

petethedrummer

The big loose cotton ones can be lethal enough if you cross your legs too quickly. Can't imagine the discomfort on a bike